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198 ratings | 26 reviews | avg rating:4.87

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Linda

5,618 books | 912 friends

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993 books | 1,148 friends

C.L. Cannon

2,738 books | 2,547 friends

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58 books | 2,729 friends

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Tess Collins

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

http://www.tesscollins.com/

Twitter

TessCollins

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers, Historical Fiction

Influences

Thomas Hardy; John Irving; Lawrence Durrell

Member Since

January 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/tesscollins

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A coal miner’s granddaughter, Tess Collins was born and raised in a crater. Yes, really—a crater formed by the impact of an asteroid millions of years ago, where her hometown of Middlesboro, Kentucky was eventually built. Tess spent her younger years in a one-room Carnegie Library, reading around the room. She started with Blueberries for Sal and ended with War and Peace, at which point she thought, I want to do that.
That ambition took her to the University of Kentucky, where she majored in journalism and creative writing, and eventually to a Ph.D. from The Union Institute and University, with a focus on theatre management and producing. She is the author of eight novels and a non-fiction book on theater management. She now lives in San Fr ...more

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Tess Collins’s books

Average rating: 4.06 · 309 ratings · 120 reviews · 13 distinct works • Similar authors

	Notown by Tess Collins (Goodreads Author), Theresa Collins 4.35 avg rating — 62 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Law of Revenge (The Appalachian Trilogy Book 1) 3.68 avg rating — 62 ratings — published 1997 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Law of the Dead (The Appalachian Trilogy Book 2) 4.14 avg rating — 50 ratings — published 1999 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Law of Betrayal (The Appalachian Trilogy Book 3) 4.19 avg rating — 43 ratings — published 2006 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Helen of Troy by Tess Collins (Goodreads Author), Theresa Collins 3.68 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 2011 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hunter of Hertha (Book One: The Midnight Valley Quartet 2) 4.13 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Shadow Mountain (Book One: Shadow Mountain Saga) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2017 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Wave of Breath 4.54 avg rating — 13 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A WAVE OF BREATH 4.88 avg rating — 8 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	How Theater Managers Manage liked it 3.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2003 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Tess Collins…

15 posts
Tess Collins's Blog

Easter Eggs: Spoiler In This Post

I love it when authors hide little easter eggs in their stories—those subtle details that seem ordinary at first but take on a whole new meaning once you’ve reached the end.

One of my favorite Easter eggs in A Wave of Breath is the name Mary. How many of you noticed it? The many versions of the name Mary… the quiet drift of Miriam Houseman’s ashes into the pool—just what did that activate?

Knowing Read more of this blog post »

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Published on July 14, 2026 11:35

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Tess is Currently Reading

Tess Collins is currently reading

Among The Wolves of Court: The Untold Story of Thomas and George Boleyn

by Lauren Mackay

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Apr 16, 2026 01:42PM

Tess Collins is currently reading

Orphan Monster Spy (Orphan Monster Spy #1)

by Matt Killeen

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Mar 27, 2021 02:23PM

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Tess’s Recent Updates

Tess Collins wrote a new blog post Easter Eggs: Spoiler In This Post I love it when authors hide little easter eggs in their stories—those subtle details that seem ordinary at first but take on a whole new meaning once Read more of this blog post »
Jul 14, 2026 11:35AM · like
Tess Collins rated a book it was amazing Booth by Timothy David Jones (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 21, 2026 03:00PM · like
Tess Collins rated a book it was amazing The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 21, 2026 03:00PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess Collins rated a book it was amazing The Outlander Series 7-Book Bundle: Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 21, 2026 03:00PM · like
Tess Collins is currently reading Among The Wolves of Court: The Untold Story of Thomas and George Boleyn by Lauren Mackay	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 16, 2026 01:42PM · like
Tess Collins rated a book it was amazing Damage: A Novel by Josephine Hart	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 17, 2025 08:06AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Damage by Josephine Hart. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Damage by Josephine Hart <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess Collins has read Mitch, Please!: How Mitch McConnell Sold Out Kentucky (and America, Too) by Matt Jones	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 27, 2024 11:47PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mitch, Please! by Matt Jones. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mitch, Please! by Matt Jones <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess Collins has read The Outside Club by Jeff Baker	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 20, 2024 12:57PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Outside Club by Jeff Baker. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Outside Club by Jeff Baker <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess Collins finished reading The Pineal Gland: The Eye of God by Manly P. Hall	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 14, 2024 06:37PM · like
Tess Collins is currently reading The Pineal Gland: The Eye of God by Manly P. Hall	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 12, 2024 05:56AM · like

More of Tess's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Reading with Style: SP 2016 RwS Completed Tasks Spring 2016	1188	103	May 31, 2016 09:01PM
What's the Name o...: ABANDONED. Mystery/Suspense book: a woman (maybe a paralegal or an attorney or P.I.) who gets onto the case of this teen who is in trouble with the law	7	863	May 23, 2021 11:31AM

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Tess’s Year In Books

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Tess Collins’s books

15 posts
Tess Collins's Blog

Easter Eggs: Spoiler In This Post

Tess is Currently Reading

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Tess’s Recent Updates

Easter Eggs: Spoiler In This Post

See a Problem?

Preview — The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

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Preview — Damage by Josephine Hart

See a Problem?

Preview — Mitch, Please! by Matt Jones

See a Problem?

Preview — The Outside Club by Jeff Baker

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recent posts
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Tess’s Friend Comments

Tess Collins’s Followers (33)

Tess Collins

Goodreads Author

Popular Answered Questions

rssTess’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

See a Problem?

Preview — Damage by Josephine Hart

See a Problem?

Preview — Mitch, Please! by Matt Jones

See a Problem?

Preview — The Outside Club by Jeff Baker

Topics Mentioning This Author

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Tess’s Recent Updates