We’re excited to offer an exclusive cover reveal of Anne Stark Gallagher’s debut book, Collateral Wife: A True Con Marriage (Atmosphere Press, November 11, 2026)!
Collateral Wife tells the story of Anne’s marriage to the perfect man – a charming, successful businessman who adored her. Years into the marriage, the illusion shattered as she discovered he had forged her name on hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans, including one to organized crime, putting her and her children at risk. Torn between loyalty, fear and the hope that he might change, Anne must make a decision that will change everything: protect the man she once loved or bring him to justice.
Although Anne Gallagher was born and raised in Wisconsin, she’s lived in Chicago, where her story takes place, for more than 30 years. With journalism and law degrees, she’s worked internationally in communications roles with organizations and consulting roles to them. In addition to her work as an author, she’s a journalist with a London-based trade publication and continues to provide media and presentation skills consulting. Her work has been featured in Chicago Story Press Literary Journal, Venture Inward magazine and the anthology Own Your Story: Empower, Connect. Create Change. Collateral Wife is her first book; she’s working on a second, a tennis-themed murder mystery.
The cover was created by Chicago designer Maria Sitelis. Here’s how Sitelis described her process:
“I wanted the cover to evoke a dark, suspenseful mood to introduce readers to the dramatic story inside. The black, red and white color palette creates an eerie feel and the handwritten font gives a sense of foreboding to signal that this is an intensely personal story. The shattered glass is the biggest part of the concept for me. Everything that seems solid in Anne’s life is broken and the cracks spread across the cover to the back of the book.”
Anne Gallagher also spoke about the cover’s significance to her debut book:
“For me, the cover’s red strikethrough of the word wife is the real star of the show. That single red slash represents my emotional self – compromised, betrayed, discarded. But those are the emotions that motivated me to make the choices I did to reclaim myself rebuild my life.”
Collateral Wife is the gripping true story of love, deception, and the courage it takes to confront betrayal, protect what matters most and rebuild your life after unimaginable deception.
NONFICTION
Collateral Wife: A True Con Marriage
By Anne Stark Gallagher
Atmosphere Press
November 11, 2026
