Tess Awakening: The Complete Story
The Tess Series Book 1
by Andres Mann
Genre: Adventure Romance
Tess Awakening - The Complete Story combines two previously published novels: Tess Awakening and
Tess Valkyrie. Since the second novel is a sequel, the combination provides the full story of Tess’s
confrontations with the fascinating villain Amir.
Tess and Amir continue to square off in an epic struggle to define their destinies. Aided by Jake, Tess’s
friend and co-pilot Carmen and their colleagues, Tess must overcome Amir's vicious attacks motivated
by his continuing obsession with her. They repeatedly clash in a succession of encounters taking place
in Baghdad, Amman, Istanbul, Sorrento and New York. Tess's friend Carmen finally meets her soul mate
in Nicola, who helps her overcome the traumas of her youth and becomes a valuable member of their
team. The two women respond to their challenges by drawing on their skills as fierce warriors, battling
Amir, who not only hurt Tess but plans to take over the Iraqi government. Their struggle leads to a series
of violent and bloody battles in the air and on the ground. A heartbreaking loss at the end is redeemed by
a final poignant resolution.
Tess: The Abomination of Human Trafficking
The Tess Series Book 2
A powerful exploration of global human trafficking
After rescuing a child prostitute in Cambodia, Tess persuades Jake, Carmen, Nicola and the Team to
tackle human trafficking worldwide. Sponsored by the United Nations, she creates a team of Valkyries,
six remarkable women that alongside the men of the Team embark on a Herculean effort to rescue
victims and pursue traffickers, starting with a degenerate financier that controls a multinational sex
enterprise. The team then takes direct action by unleashing their military skills in battles against powerful
slavers, Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Mexican cartels. The action turns to combating child trafficking,
rescuing captured women abused by the terrorist group ISIS, probing Nigerian prostitution in Europe and
Russia, and confronting the appalling sex trade in Mexico, Afghanistan and in the U.S. In a whirlwind
series of actions, the story transitions from Phnom Penh to New York, Houston, Miami, Paris, London,
Amsterdam, Hamburg, Buenos Aires, and Las Vegas. The deeper the Team gets involved, the more
challenging their task becomes. With all cards stacked against them, Tess and Jake must find a way to
address the fundamental causes of human trafficking and attempt to formulate a solution to intractable
problems.
Tess: Day of Reckoning
The Tess Series Book 3
In this epic adventure, Tess and Jake continue to fight terrorists and try to address the overwhelming
refugee crisis in Europe. When ISIS terrorists acquire two North Korean nuclear bombs, Tess and the
team must change priorities to prevent a worldwide calamity. The stakes are high — the potential
obliteration of European cities and possibly the destruction of Israel. The CIA asks Tess and Jake to use
their special talents to find the weapons, forcing Tess to deal with her nemesis, the dissolute Laurent
Belcour who is still obsessed with her but may know where the bombs are hidden. Personal
complications arise when Tess meets a captivating symphony conductor who persuades her to play a
piano concert in Moscow and introduces her to the Russian President. Their musical collaboration leads
to temptation and turmoil, affecting Tess’s relationship with Jake, who has challenges of his own in
fending off the stunning and talented Claudine Bisson. Spanning the globe, the frantic search for the
missing weapons takes them to Bulgaria, Ukraine, the South China Sea, Syria, Israel, Tehran and
Moscow. Racing against the clock, Tess’s team must pursue every lead no matter how tenuous and fight
a host of enemies in a desperate attempt to ward off nuclear Armageddon.
Tess: Clash of Civilizations
The Tess Series Book 4
Tess and Jake have fought bitter battles against ISIS and Boko Haram Islamic terrorists, but now they
have an unusual dilemma. Their adopted daughter Aara received a huge inheritance from Tess’s
nemesis, the deceased Amir al-Saadi. The fortune comes with an unsettling condition: Aara must marry
into a Muslim family within one year. This forces Tess and Jake to overcome their prejudices and assess
whether such a condition is acceptable.
Tess: The Flight of the Valkyries
The Tess Series Book 5
In a story of high passion and conflict, Claudine Bisson returns to the Valkyries team. She persuades
Tess and her colleagues to provide adversary services to the Air Force, a plan that requires learning how
to fly jet fighters. The Team acquires surplus aircraft and hires a team of Russian specialists led by the
abrasive Colonel Peter Brusilov, a hard taskmaster. Laurent Belcour, the notorious villain, is back and
continues to create obstacles. Claudine further complicates things because she has an ulterior motive: to
get Jake back by undermining Tess. While the team struggles to prepare for the upcoming operation,
they must deal with the destructive collision between Claudine and Tess, leading to unpredictable
consequences.
This is an illustrated version of the book. Why? I thought that by providing pictures of the many aircraft in
the story would help the reader better understand the scope of the challenges faced by Tess and her
friends. Once I started searching for appropriate images, I couldn’t resist adding pictures of venues,
people and other material that might be of interest. The choice of illustrations is entirely arbitrary.
Andres Mann was an Army Officer and a business executive. He graduated with degrees in Political
Science and International Relations and published three management books and various business
articles.
The Tess adventure novels are based on real contemporary events and explore the challenges posed by
international political developments and the issues that professional women face in today's world. The
setting of the stories starts with the second Gulf War in Iraq and continues up to the current era.
Andy had the good fortune to meet remarkable people from all over the world, most of them good, others
not so much. Some were extraordinarily talented, able to perform well in multiple endeavors. The novels
are based on the actions of real people he observed dealing with challenging situations. He believes that
it is interesting to understand multi-faceted personalities that are fascinating and sometimes evil, making
it difficult to make quick judgments about right and wrong.
Action, intrigue, deceit, obsession, sensuality, the use of wealth to achieve one's goals, the struggle
between good and evil are a constant theme.
GUEST POST
Can
you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about
yourself and how you became an author?
I was an Army Officer, a business executive in the power
engineering and construction field, and an entrepreneur. By the time
I retired, I had already published three business books based on
management systems I had developed. I found out soon enough that
retirement was boring. I looked for something interesting to do, and
I had a brainstorm. I had an exciting life, traveled all over the
world, and met many fascinating people, some accomplished enough to
qualify as Renaissance men and women. The more I thought about it,
the more I wished to use my treasure trove of experience and write
about them in some fashion. I could have written an engaging memoir,
but I concluded that writing a novel sounded more fun. The first
book, Tess Awakening, broke many conventions of storytelling,
and I acquired a small but devoted group of fans. That encouraged me
to make the Tess adventures a series, so now I have five published
novels and more on the way.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I often weep real tears at the opera and classical concerts. I
don’t know if I can attribute such behavior to extreme emotional
sensitivity or perhaps low testosterone.
Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you!
You don’t want to know.
What are some of your pet peeves?
I am obsessed with punctuality. To do otherwise is to show a lack
of respect for others.
Where were you born/grew up at?
I was born in Eritrea, in East Africa, to Italian parents. The
country borders Ethiopia, and it’s a fascinating place. Asmara, the
capital, is a world Heritage place due to the Art Deco architecture
inherited from the Italians when they invaded during the Mussolini
years. Ethiopia was a monarchy until 1974. Ethiopia and Eritrea use
the ancient Ge'ez script, which is one of the oldest alphabets still
in use in the world. A majority of the population is Christian, and
around a third follows Islam. The country is known for Coptic
churches dug into the earth, and Axum for its obelisks. The country
is the purported keeper of the Ark of the Covenant, and local lore
makes it the ancient kingdom of the Queen of Sheba. A Jewish
population going back a thousand years lived in isolation and
developed against modern Jewish practice, yet align perfectly with
rituals from the time of the Second Temple, described in the Dead Sea
Scrolls. Between 1979 and 1990, most of the population was
transported to Israel.
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last
day?
Sitting in front of a symphony orchestra with a glass of brandy
and listening to music.
Who is your hero, and why?
I admired my late beloved wife, a renaissance woman who I used as
the model for Tess. I also much admire two exceptional classical
pianists: Martha Argerich and Juja Wang. These artists define
perfection and spectacular skill. I modeled Tess’s playing the
piano as a homage to them.
What kind of world ruler would you be?
Probably a benevolent dictator with no heirs. They generally mess
things up afterward.
What are you passionate about these days?
Anyone that read my books will soon find out that I am passionate
about strong women, music, arts, architecture, fine cars, and gourmet
dining. I am also passionate about books of all kinds, including
history, which regrettably repeats itself.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
I listen to music and stream French, Spanish, and Italian murder
mysteries just to challenge myself.
How to find time to write as a parent?
My daughter is grown up and on her own.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Pragmatic, low key, skeptical, discerning, and respectful.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I started writing business books and articles, but I came into my
own with my novels. Not only are they more fun to write, but they
provide me with an outlet to express who I am.
Do you have a favorite movie?
The Da Vici Code, Angels and Demons and Gladiator, mostly because
Hans Zimmer composed the soundtracks.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
All of them. My fans keep saying that Tess would make a killer TV
series. I started writing a script, so who knows?
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