Connie Heinfeld of Fort Wayne had no thought of winning dinner with New York Times best-selling author Debbie Macomber when she signed up her church book club for a contest at Macomber's Web site ( www.debbiemacomber.com).

In summer 2007, Heinfeld had read “Back on Blossom Street,” one of Macomber's women's lit novels, and enjoyed it. When it was Heinfeld's turn to select a book for the New Haven United Methodist Church book club to discuss, she chose that book and went to the author's Web site for discussion questions.

There she found information about a contest being held by Macomber for an upcoming book-signing tour.

“It was a random drawing,” says Heinfeld. Members of the winning book club would eat a meal with Debbie at a local restaurant selected by the author's staff.

That's what Heinfeld and her club members will do next week when Seattle-based Macomber visits Fort Wayne for a book-signing tour stop at noon Tuesday at the Meijer store on Lima Road.

Macomber's work has debuted at No. 1 on best-seller lists of the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly. Macomber has written more than 100 books since 1983, and 100 million copies of her books are in print.

Heinfeld was surprised to find her group had won the national contest.

“Another book club had been the first winners, but they met online and could not get together with Debbie,” Heinfeld adds.

The New Haven United Methodist book club's 15 ladies all were thrilled about meeting Macomber, Heinfeld says. They never expected to win, and they enjoyed reading her book.

The club meets monthly to discuss novels. Heinfeld says she was introduced to Macomber's books through her involvement with another club.

“Debbie's books about Blossom Street were being passed around at a prayer-shawl ministry I was involved with because her book, “Back on Blossom Street,” had a pattern for a prayer shawl,” Heinfeld says.

According to Heinfeld, who since has read three other Macomber books, prayer-shawl ministries are opportunities to help others.

“People who like to knit and crochet get together on a regular basis to make shawls for people experiencing major life changes,” she explains. “When the project is finished, we lay it on the table and pray for the individual it is intended for. We may not have a specific person in mind to receive it, but we pray for the recipient anyway. We also pass a card, and everyone who was there when it was blessed signs it.”

Working with the publisher Leisure Art, Macomber has created a number of knitting pattern books.