Looking for a Great Read the Whole Family Can Enjoy? Then the Thunderbirds ^TM Books Are For You!

Tired of vampires and zombies? Sick of stories where the "heroes" are just as bad as the villains? Yearning for stories where good triumphs over evil? Hungry for stories that have excitement, thrills, and best of all, a happy ending?

Remember Saturday mornings when you were a child, sitting in front of the television in your pajamas, watching your favorite shows? Remember the fun when the good guys outwitted the bad guys? Then the Thunderbirds™ books are for you! These are the officially licensed, approved, and sanctioned novels based on the 1960s Thunderbirds™ television series, set in the decade of the 2060s. In Countdown to Action, the first novel in the series, retired billionaire astronaut Jeff Tracy, driven by the tragic death of his wife, founds an organization (International Rescue) to help people who are in mortal danger and out of reach of the normal first responders. His grown sons and associates join him in this effort, and the adventures never stop!

 

Meet the Tracys:

Jeff Tracy: graduate of the Air Force Academy, he left the astronaut corps after the death of his wife and amassed a fortune manufacturing high-tech products. He runs International Rescue. Scott Tracy: Rhodes Scholar and former Air Force test pilot (and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross), Scott is the oldest of the Tracy sons. His job in International Rescue is to fly the rocket-reconnaissance vessel Thunderbird 1 to the scene of the disaster, assess the situation, and coordinate rescue efforts. Virgil Tracy: graduate of the Denver Institute of Advanced Technology, Virgil pilots the heavy-rescue craft, Thunderbird 2. In addition to his rescue skills, Virgil is an accomplished pianist and artist. John Tracy, graduate of Harvard University, pilots the rocket ship Thunderbird 3 and shares duty with his younger brother Alan at the communications satellite, Thunderbird 5. His areas of expertise include astronomy, communications, and finance. Gordon Tracy: veteran of the aquanaut corps, is in charge of International Rescue's submarine, Thunderbird 4. He is an Olympic gold medallist in swimming, an expert marksman. and the practical joker of the group. Alan Tracy : a winning Grand Prix race car driver, and graduate of Harvard and Colorado University. He shares space duty with his older brother John on Thunderbird 5 and piloting duties on the Thunderbird 3 rocket ship. Countdown to Action, Action Alert, Deadly Danger, Situation: Critical, Extreme Hazard, Danger Zone, and Arctic Adventure are suitable reading for anyone ages 12 and up. Countdown to Action, Action Alert, Deadly Danger, Situation: Critical, Extreme Hazard and Danger Zone are recipients of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award®, given to the best in family-friendly entertainment. An esteemed panel of judges for the Mom's Choice Awards includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of the Mom's Choice Awards. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. These books have been honored by this distinguished award. What readers say about Countdown to Action!

Midwest Book Review: Small Press Bookwatch

Tragedy does strange things to people, and it is not always negative. Countdown to Action! is a novel based on the beginnings of the old television program Thunderbirds. When faced with his wife's death, Jeff Tracy calls upon his sons to create an organization dedicated to rescuing those who need it. Creating such an organization, however, is much easier said than done. Countdown to Action! is highly recommended reading for science fiction enthusiasts in general and fans of the Thunderbirds television series in particular.

Daria Brooks , Rancho Dominguez, CA

Countdown To Action [is] a book to read and remember. It's also a thoroughly enjoyable, adventurous outing with characters who are beloved by fans around the world. The novel begins by filling in an element which has been largely neglected in Thunderbirds lore as it tells us about the relationship which brought those valiant Tracy brothers into our lives. My fascination with the series has always been more about what compels this amazing family to risk their lives time and time again, as well as about what in their collective background prepared them for their hazardous chosen task. Scott, Virgil, John, Gordon and Alan all had their own fields of study and interests outside of the family and were on their individual ways to gaining fame in their own right, away from their famous father's shadow. Countdown To Action illustrates in seamless order how Jeff Tracy raised five such selfless and brave sons to maturity, gifting the world with young men who were willing to sacrifice their own personal lives and safety to save those in mortal peril time and time again. Countdown To Action successfully delves into the formation of the core of International Rescue and so much more, making it a very satisfying introduction to an exciting new series.

David Tremont , Model maker, Weta Workshop, New Zealand

Thunderbirds has been my inspiration since childhood. This has been an enjoyable read and reliving of the characters and their history. I look forward to new adventures ahead as should fans old and new, too.

Monica Ferris USA Today bestselling author of Crewel World and other Needlecraft Mysteries St. Louis Park, MN

Verba has created a humane and human background for these characters, with foibles and weaknesses believably overcome, which makes their forming a brave, self-sacrificing force all the more credit-worthy. FAB!

Darlene J. McCurdy , Harrisburg, PA

I have read the 3 books from the Thunderbird series and can honestly say once I read the first page I couldn't put it down. It kept me wanting more and looking forward to the next book in the series. Anyone who loves action books, would love the Thunderbirds Books. They are great for kids and adults. I passed them on to my grandson and he loves them also.

Vickie Vanderpool , Indianola, IA

My grandson loved your second novel. It took him only a week to read through it. He wanted me to drop you a line and say "WELL DONE." After he finished I read it to his younger brothers and he sat in to listen again. Amazing; he doesn't sit still very often. I see that you'll have a new one coming in 2010. Fantastic!!!!!! We can't wait to read this one also.

Doug Pratt , owner, Pratt Hobbies, Herndon, VA

I encourage you to order copies--they are wonderful books. If you are new to Thunderbirds, they will be an excellent introduction. If they Tracy family are old friends, you will find these stories deepen your understanding and enrich your memories. That's what good books are supposed to do. I'm delighted to have the chance to spread this fine work around, and to share something that has been very important to me. Something in the program resonated. The idea of selfless, honorable people devoting their lives to rescuing strangers, maybe. Or maybe it was the technology; nothing in Thunderbirds is what it appears to be. Swimming pools are rocket hangars, cars have machine guns, watches and powder compacts communicate with satellites. And Joan, I have to tell you, I've given away 18 books...so far. I'm getting emails back already about how much people are enjoying them. At least three parents told me they took the books out of the packages and read them before [giving them to their children to read].