The next Thunderbirds novel will be Action Alert, which will concentrate on Scott Tracy (just as Countdown to Action! concentrated on Jeff Tracy). All the Tracys, nonetheless, will appear in the novel.

The ISBN has been assigned: 978-0-9653575-8-6

The projected publication date is November 2008.

I expect to be able to post the front cover in the next couple of weeks.

I spent the last week shipping over 275 copies of Countdown to Action! According to the shipping confirmations, many copies have arrived already, and the others are on their way. Generally, I can ship the next business day after receiving an order.

For readers in the USA and Canada, the fastest way to get a copy of Countdown to Action by mail is to order directly from FTL Publications at shop.ftlpublications.com

For readers who prefer to order from another source, there is a list of places that carry (or will carry) Countdown to Action at http://www.ftlpublications.com/ordering.htm

The printer delivered Countdown to Action today! The books look great and I'm filling the preorders as quickly as possible.

The Countdown to Action proofs have been approved and we are on schedule for a publication date on or before Thursday, June 12. I will post once the book is published.

Countdown to Action has been delivered to the printer.

Cat’s Paw by L.A. Taylor is a Finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards

FTL Publications is delighted to announce that Cat’s Paw, a fantasy and mystery novel written by L. A. Taylor, is a finalist in the 2008 National Indie Excellence Awards. This novel, originally published in 1995 and reprinted by FTL Publications in 2007, features a cover by noted fantasy artist Alicia Austin.

In Cat’s Paw, Miranda Glivven’s husband sets out on a secret assignment for the government. When he does not return, Miranda goes in search of him, starting out at his last known location.  Combining elements of fantasy and mystery, the novel details Miranda’s painstaking search, in which she, out of necessity, becomes an investigator. The fantasy setting reminds the reader of the Victorian age, where trains are the main vehicles for long-distance transportation.

Cat’s Paw is another award-winning release from FTL Publications, a publisher of genre titles based in Minnetonka, Minnesota.  Previous award-winning titles have included Murder at the War and The Wrong World.

“Set in a world where magic is officially denied, even while it is consistently rumored to exist, Cat's Paw is an entertaining and compellingly written novel that deftly combines mystery with fantasy. Author L. A. Taylor (she passed away from cancer in 1996) is revealed as a master storyteller of immense and imaginative talent.” 
--Midwest Book Review

Web site: http://www.ftlpublications.com/catspaw.htm
Book excerpt: http://www.ftlpublications.com/catspaw1.htm

I've received the following endorsements for Countdown to Action! which will appear on the back cover:


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.
--David Tremont, Model maker, Weta Workshop

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!
--Monica Ferris, USA Today bestselling author of Crewel World and other Needlecraft Mysteries

When I'm at conventions, interested parties come to me and ask what age the novels are intended for. What I tell them is that it is advertised for ages 12 and up, and that "It's not so juvenile that an adult couldn't read it, and it's not so adult that a juvenile couldn't read it." As with the original Thunderbirds television show, I did want a novel that could be enjoyed by both adults and younger readers.

There is no strong language ("hell" is about as intense as it gets), no sex, no graphic violence. There are, of course, rescues, rescues, and more rescues.