Chicago author’s first novel, ‘Valentine,’ debuts as a top bestseller in a time of no book tours, no publicity. In other words, it does the near impossible.

Elizabeth Wetmore, who settled in Chicago 15 years ago by way of West Texas, hit the jackpot, won the kewpie doll, pulled off the improbable. She landed a smash hit, despite a pandemic. Her debut novel, “Valentine,” was released in late March, as the nation huddled into quarantine, after book stores closed and book tours were called off. Yet “Valentine” (Harper) debuted at No. 2 on the New …