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May 2009

My Dear Friends,

Welcome back to Blossom Street and to Lydia Goetz's knitting shop, A Good Yarn. Lydia's family and friends are eager to update you on what's been happening on this Seattle street.

A couple of years ago, while I was in Australia and everyone else was busy exploring Sydney, I sought out a yarn store. As I stepped up to pay for my purchase (you didn't honestly think I wouldn't buy yarn, did you?) I noticed a sign-up sheet for a class that taught knitting as a way to help people quit smoking. What a great idea, I thought—for a book. I grabbed that plot premise, expanded it (Lydia's class is for people who want to quit any kind of bad habit, not just smoking) and waited for the right story to come along. I'm pleased to tell you it's the very one you're holding in your hands. My Knit to Quit class idea evolved into Summer on Blossom Street. You'll meet a few new characters and connect with some you're already familiar with. And yes, Anne Marie, Ellen and Baxter are back—and Ellen is still working on her twenty wishes, so be prepared for a surprise there.

When I wrote The Shop on Blossom Street, the first story about Lydia and her yarn shop, I hadn't expected or intended it to become a series. Who knew? Obviously not me! Although in retrospect it makes perfect sense, since any book that involves my passions (in this case for yarn and knitting) was sure to resonate with my readers, as well.

My hope is that you're as eager to catch up with Lydia's friends as she is to turn over the Open sign on her shop door. Enjoy your visit! And rest assured: she has more classes to teach, more lessons to learn and more friends to make.

Warmest regards,

Debbie Macomber

P.S. I love to hear from my readers. You can reach me at www.debbiemacomber.com or write to me at P.O. Box 1458, Port Orchard, WA 98366.