Holding My Debut Book For The First Time!

Today's the first time I've seen the physical book — and held it in my hands! I can't begin to explain how excited and grateful I am...but this little video serves as a start.

Hi!

If we haven’t met yet, I’m Christine Wolf, the wildly grateful author who just held her debut book in her hands for the VERY FIRST TIME :)

Politics, Partnerships, & Power: The Lives of Ralph E. and Marguerite Stitt Church, is as much a political love story as it is the first biography of a remarkable husband and wife who both served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Immediately after Ralph Church died suddenly while in office, his widow, Marguerite, stepped in and helped to encourage and pave new paths for women in government. As one of the first 50 women to serve in Congress, Marguerite served for 12 pioneering and productive years, helping to change U.S. history every day.

I’ve been waiting for this day for so long…and I can’t believe it’s finally here.

WHAT A THRILL!

I made the giddy video above as a quick, behind-the-scenes summary of how I navigated the 7+ years co-writing this biography through times of heartache, a pandemic, and unforeseen publishing delays. (btw, sincere apologies to Mary Barr. In all my excitement rushing through the video, I mistakenly called her Mary Carr. Sorry Mary!)

Below, you’ll see the pics and videos taken at The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois, where the staff surprised me by putting the first copy of the book into my shaking hands [insert ugly, grateful cry].

If you’re considering writing a book…or find yourself in the messy middle of writing a book…or hating the process of writing a book…or wondering if you have what it takes to write a book — this post is especially for YOU.

GO FOR IT.
GO FOR IT.
GO FOR IT.

Tears of joy. I didn’t expect to hold my debut book in my hands today, but independent bookstore The Book Stall in Winnetka, Illinois, had 7 copies in the back. This copy was still wrapped in plastic when the staff handed it to me. I promptly burst into happy tears and a fierce, menopausal hot flash.

Thanks to The Book Stall’s Elizabeth Solomon Hubbard for her patience and tireless guidance about navigating life as a debut author. Her passion for all things literary is astounding, and I’m so grateful she was there when I held my first book in my hands!

Walking out of The Book Stall carrying the book that took more than 7 years to bring to life. I’m walking on air.

I stopped a stranger on the street and asked him to snap a pic of me in front of The Book Stall. If you can’t already tell, he was quite tall!

THANK YOU for letting me share my joy!

@thebookstallFirst time published Author @ChristineWolfWriter buying the very first copy of her very first book! Title in the comments! #booktok #indiebookstore

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Christine Wolf is a memoir coach and the co-author of Politics, Partnerships, & Power: The Lives of Ralph E. and Marguerite Stitt Church. In 2014, she founded Writers’ Haven, a cooperative workspace for women writers near Chicago.

Get in touch!
ChristineWolf.com