About the Book

Book: Knowing You

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Historical Fiction

Release Date: November 7, 2023

Could a captivating art exhibit hold the key to truth—and love?

Budding artist May Parker is captivated by the Japanese exhibits at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition and longs to know more about her mother’s heritage—which her mother refuses to speak of because of the heartache she left behind in Japan. Wanting to experience more of the exhibits, May works as a Camera Girl–but her curiosity leads her into danger when a suit of samurai armor becomes the target of an elusive art forger.

After ten years apart, May is reunited with her childhood friend Lee Munro, a police detective assigned to keep a watchful eye on the exposition. Their friendship immediately begins to blossom with hints of something more, but when they become entangled in a dangerous heist involving the samurai armor and their love is threatened, can they overcome the odds against them? Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling author of more than 100 novels, both historical and contemporary, with more than 6 million copies sold. She has won the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series. Tracie and her family make their home in Montana.

More from Tracie

Knowing You is book three in the Pictures of the Heart series. This series has proven to be a lot of fun for readers, as well as for me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the research and chance to share this tidbit of history.

In the summer of 1909, Seattle was finally able to debut The Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition – often affectionately called the AYP.  The AYP was set up with amusement park rides, vendors, concerts, and all things typical of a fair.  It was also designed to showcase various details about life in Alaska, the Yukon, and a variety of Pacific Islands. The latter included Hawaii, the Philippines, and Japan as well as others.  When I started looking into the various displays, I came across the building they put together for the Japan Building. They spoke of the various displays that the building held and how photographs and other pieces of memorabilia told of Japan’s history.  It was a fascinating set up and I couldn’t help but think it might be fun to have a heroine who was part Japanese.

I mapped out the story studying various aspects of Japanese history, talking to folks who knew more than I did on the topic and reading (a lot) on things like the Samurai and their armor, the Satsuma Rebellion, and the language and Kanji. I learned so much and tried to weave some of the most interesting bits into the storyline. I kept thinking about the fact that most people in the United States in 1909 probably didn’t even know where Japan was, much less anything about their history. There was, after all, no Internet.

Another fascinating thing about the AYP was the fact that it was set on the campus of the University of Washington.  The AYP groomed the grounds and put in beautiful fountains and over 50,000 flowering plants. They built several permanent buildings for the University of Washington and strictly adhered to their policy of no-liquor on campus. This was unusual because all the other fairs and expositions had allowed alcohol.  Nevertheless, from June until October the fair saw nearly four million visitors, and from all reports, they had an amazing time.

I hope you’ll enjoy your journey with me to the AYP!

Tracie Peterson

Interview with Tracie

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

I lived two years in Dallas, Texas, as a child. Just long enough to pick up a drawl. Whenever I go to the southern part of the USA, that drawl comes back out with a vengeance. Once when I was on book tour in the South with Kimberley Woodhouse (who is from the South) I called home to talk to my husband. Apparently the drawl was very pronounced, and my husband told me I needed to come home because I’d been in the South too long.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Loyal, authentic, and forgiving

What book is currently on your bedside table?

There are several books that I currently have on my bedside table, including Flames of Discontent by Gary Kaunonen, The Secrets Beneath by Kimberley Woodhouse, and The Lost Boys of Barlow Theatre by Jaime Jo Wright.

What has been your favorite part of the publishing journey?

The people God has brought into my life through writing, researching, and conferences. It’s been amazing to meet the readers and just hear their stories, and it’s so amazing to hear how God has used the books to bless people or help them with problems in their daily lives. I’ve also loved meeting other writers and hearing what they have to say about their process and how God is at work in their life and writing. And the research is one of my all-time favorite things because of the people I meet who tell me about the places or events or people from their area and the history behind them. It’s all such a blessing.

What is the key theme and/or message in the book?

Knowing You deals with racial prejudice, letting go of the past, and forgiveness. All of these tie together to play a major part in the life of the heroine and hero of the story. Set in Seattle in 1909, there was a great deal of racial trouble—especially toward those of Asian ancestry. I wanted to tackle that issue, but share it in a different way.  In this case, a person of Asian ancestry wants nothing to do with her heritage because of problems in the past. She has her own kind of prejudice. There are others who show hatred toward the Japanese because of wrongs done them, and still others who are fearful of what they don’t understand. I wanted to show that it’s well past time to put these things aside and love one another as Christ loved us.

Where can readers find out more about you and your books? 

My website:  www.TraciePeterson.com or at Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTraciePeterson

Any current or upcoming projects you’d like to tell us about?

I have a three-book series set in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Book one debuts in March 2024 and is titled A Love Discovered.  The series will deal with the very start of Cheyenne, and then jump ahead twenty years to the late 1880s when Wyoming became a state. Cheyenne, Wyoming, is full of a fascinating and rich history, and I thought it would be a lot of fun to do books based on characters who came there to help found that town and state.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid reader, December 4

Book Looks by Lisa, December 4

lakesidelivingsite, December 5

Lighthouse Academy Blog, December 6 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 6

Texas Book-aholic, December 7

Locks, Hooks and Books, December 8

Exploring the Written Word, December 8

Cover Lover Book Review, December 9

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 10

Blossoms and Blessings, December 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, December 11

Blogging With Carol, December 12

For Him and My Family, December 12

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, December 13 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, December 13

Holly’s Book Corner, December 14

Paula’s Pad of Inspiration, December 14

Splashes of Joy, December 15

Min Reads and Reviews, December 15

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, December 16

Pause for Tales, December 16

Lily’s Corner, December 17

Lights in a Dark World, December 17

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tracie is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Amazon gift card and one paperback set of the Pictures of the Heart series (Remember Me, Finding Us, Knowing You)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/29246/knowing-you-celebration-tour-giveaway