Off Book with Amy True: Clearly Charmed, Taylor Swift & Why Historical Fiction Deserves More Love
Three sisters, a little magic, a Taylor Swift song, and an author who has officially sworn off creating family trees. What more could we ask for?
This week on Genre'd: Off Book, we're joined by author Amy True, whose latest romance, Clearly Charmed, combines small-town charm, sisterhood, and just enough magic to keep you wondering what's actually happening.
We talk about the inspiration behind her new series, her journey from historical fiction to romance, and why historical fiction deserves a better reputation. Plus, we get into childhood reading habits, the realities of publishing, and why the enemies-to-lovers trope might have some competition.
Clearly Charmed: Practical Magic Meets Taylor Swift
Amy's newest novel, Clearly Charmed, is the first book in her Sisters of the Harvest Moon trilogy.
Set in the small Colorado town of Harvest Moon, the story follows three sisters whose family is deeply connected to the town's magical history.
The first book centers on Dani, a veterinarian with an almost supernatural connection to animals, and Bryce, a journalist who arrives in town looking for a story about the sisters and their mysterious reputation.
Naturally, there are sparks. Naturally, she wants nothing to do with him.
Amy describes the book as Practical Magic meets Charmed, inspired by Taylor Swift's "The Prophecy."
And as three sisters ourselves (and longtime Charmed enthusiasts), we were immediately invested.But the Taylor Swift connection might be our favorite part of the book's origin story.
Amy explains how one particular moment listening to The Tortured Poets Department at a stoplight sparked the entire concept. She went home, wrote out the pitch and the three sisters' story arcs, and soon found herself pitching her very first speculative romance series.
Is It Magic, or Are These Women Just Really Good at Their Jobs?
One of the things we loved most about Clearly Charmed is the way Amy plays with the idea of magic.
Rather than introducing an elaborate magical system, she explores the extraordinary gifts people might already possess.
Maybe Dani really does have a supernatural connection to animals. Or maybe she's just exceptionally intuitive.
Maybe the sisters' abilities are magical. Or maybe they're simply extensions of who they are.
Elyse particularly loved how this creates a mystery without needing a murder or traditional thriller plot. You're constantly trying to figure out what's happening and how much of the town's lore is real.
And the sisters themselves? Amy absolutely nailed the sibling dynamics, from knowing exactly which buttons to push to showing up for one another when it counts.
We can confirm that particular aspect of sisterhood is painfully accurate.
From Historical Fiction to Romance: Amy's Publishing Journey
Amy's path to publishing wasn't exactly straightforward.
Before writing romance under Amy True, she published historical fiction under the name Amy Trueblood. She studied journalism, worked briefly in entertainment, and eventually moved into advertising and public relations. But writing was always there.
Approaching a milestone birthday, she challenged herself to finish a novel within a year.
She finished it three days before her birthday.
Was it good? According to Amy, absolutely not.
But it taught her how to write a book, and that was what mattered.
It would take another several books and roughly six years before she signed with a literary agent.
Her first published novel, Nothing But Sky, was followed by Across a Broken Shore. And when another historical manuscript didn't sell, Amy and her agent started discussing a different direction. That's when a romance manuscript she'd been casually working on came back into the picture.
That little side project became Meet Me in Ivy Falls, her first contemporary romance and the beginning of a trilogy.
We loved hearing Amy talk so openly about the less glamorous side of publishing: books that don't sell, changing agents, rejected pitches, and the pressure of constantly creating something new.
Because while readers see the finished book, we rarely see everything that went into getting it onto the shelf.
And as Amy reminds us, sometimes the thing that keeps you going is simply remembering how much you love telling stories.
In Defense of Historical Fiction
Now, this is where we get into the heart of Off Book.
When we asked Amy about her favorite genre, the answer was historical fiction.
And honestly, she made a pretty compelling case for it.
Amy loves historical fiction that takes something familiar and gives it a twist, whether that's incorporating mythology, adding romance, or exploring a historical event through an unexpected perspective. One of her favorite examples is Lovely War by Julie Berry, which blends historical events surrounding the World Wars with Greek mythology.
It's exactly the kind of storytelling that makes history feel alive rather than like something you're being assigned to study.
Historical Fiction Isn't Just a History Lesson
Amy argues that one of the biggest misconceptions about historical fiction is that it's dry, slow, or overly focused on facts.
But the best historical fiction does something much more interesting.
It shows us how much human behavior hasn't changed.
The technology, clothing, and social conventions might look completely different, but the conflicts, relationships, inequalities, and struggles often feel remarkably familiar.
In some ways, reading about another time makes it easier to recognize what's happening in our own.
And we loved Amy's point that one of the greatest compliments a historical fiction author can receive is hearing that a reader stopped to research a real person or event after encountering it in a novel.
Because that's the magic of a great historical story. It makes you care about something you might never have thought about otherwise.
Amy True's Historical Fiction Recommendations
We couldn't let an actual historical fiction expert leave without giving us some recommendations.
And Amy delivered.
For the historical romance reader:
Hell's Belles series by Sarah MacLean. Four women taking on powerful men in Victorian society, with plenty of romance and feminist energy.
Joanna Shupe's historical romances. Especially if you enjoy scandalous women doing scandalous things.
For readers who want more history with their fiction:
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. A beautiful queer coming-of-age story set in 1950s San Francisco.
Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink. A historical novel exploring young love and racism surrounding the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Lovely War by Julie Berry. Historical romance, Greek gods, and a fascinating blend of mythology and real-world history.
For established historical fiction fans:
Kate Quinn, particularly for World War II historical fiction.
Kristin Hannah, for emotionally rich stories that bring historical periods to life.
Amy also makes an excellent case for blending genres. Historical fiction and fantasy have more in common than you might think, especially when it comes to building believable worlds, maintaining family histories, and keeping track of approximately one thousand characters.
Which brings us back to that family tree Amy has vowed never to create again.
Why Rivals to Lovers Might Be the Superior Trope
When we asked Amy about her reading comfort zone, she had a new obsession: rivals to lovers.
While working on Entirely Enchanted, the second book in her magical romance series, Amy discovered just how much fun it is to write two characters competing for the same thing.
The banter. The tension. The opportunity to push every single button.
There's something particularly satisfying about characters who want to win almost as badly as they want each other.
Naturally, Katy brought up Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, which led us into a discussion about historical-inspired fantasy worlds and the books that deliberately leave you guessing about when and where a story actually takes place.
We also talked about The Crimson Moth, Rebel Witch, and The Grace Year, particularly the way these stories blend familiar historical elements with speculative worlds.
Sometimes the most interesting setting is one you can't quite place.
Let's Talk About Our Childhood Reading Habits
Somewhere in our conversation about historical fiction, we ended up talking about growing up without cell phones.
Which, naturally, turned into a discussion about the things we did to keep reading when we absolutely were not supposed to be reading.
Katy reminded Elyse that she used to bring books to the dinner table, only to be told to put them away.
Elyse also confessed to trying to read in the car at night by using the passing headlights from other cars to illuminate her pages.
And Amy raised an important question: Was the rule about not turning on the interior car light actually just something parents made up because they didn't want to deal with it?
We're beginning to have our suspicions.
Then there was the discussion of hiding flashlights under the covers, staying up far too late for one more chapter, and the very relatable experience of needing to start another book because you can't stop thinking about the one you're currently reading.
Some things never change.
Physical Books vs. Kindles: An Identity Crisis
Amy is a mood reader who frequently has several books going at once.
Historical fiction, fantasy, romance. Whatever fits the evening.
She's also a dedicated physical-book reader at night, partly because she's trying to avoid screens before bed.
Meanwhile, Elyse and Katy have been rediscovering the joys and logistical challenges of reading physical books after years of digital reading.
How do you hold a paperback comfortably in bed? Where does the lighting go? Why does this suddenly require so much planning?
And then Amy confessed something we weren't expecting.
She's accidentally tried to swipe the page of a physical book like it was a Kindle.
Technology has officially rewired us.
We also get into the shift toward digital advance reader copies, the lengths publishers go to protect major releases, and Amy's former job helping ensure Harry Potter books didn't end up on bookstore shelves before publication day.
A little publishing industry history we absolutely did not know we needed.
Spoiler Discussion: What's Next for the Sisters of the Harvest Moon?
No major Clearly Charmed plot revelations here, but we do talk about what's coming next in Amy's interconnected trilogy.
The second installment, Entirely Enchanted, follows middle sister Lia and her rivals-to-lovers relationship with Aiden.
And as the middle sister in our own family, Katy is particularly excited for this one.
Justice for middle sisters, obviously.
Entirely Enchanted is scheduled to release April 6, 2027.
Fast Facts: Clearly Charmed by Amy True
Author: Amy True, also published as Amy Trueblood
Book: Clearly Charmed
Series: Sisters of the Harvest Moon, Book 1
Genre: Small-town romance, speculative romance, magical realism-inspired fiction
Setting: Harvest Moon, Colorado
Tropes and themes: Enemies to lovers, sisterhood, family secrets, small-town romance, magical lore, and finding magic in everyday life
Pop culture inspiration: Practical Magic, Charmed, and Taylor Swift's "The Prophecy"
Next book: Entirely Enchanted, April 6, 2027
Join the Conversation
We want to know: What's the historical fiction book you would hand someone who swears they don't like historical fiction?
A
nd while we're asking questions, have you ever tried to swipe a physical book like a Kindle? Because apparently it's more common than we'd like to admit.
Tell us on Instagram or TikTok. We love adding your recommendations to our never-ending TBR.
Listen & Follow
Listen to the full conversation with Amy True on Genre'd: Off Book, wherever you get your podcasts.
For more author interviews, book reviews, genre debates, and reading recommendations, visit Genre'd.
Find Amy at amytrueauthor.com to discover her books and her True Writing newsletter.
FAQs
Who is Amy True?
Amy True is a romance and historical fiction author who also writes under the name Amy Trueblood. Her books include Clearly Charmed, the Ivy Falls romance series, Nothing But Sky, and Across a Broken Shore.
What is Clearly Charmed about?
Clearly Charmed follows Dani McGuire, a small-town Colorado veterinarian whose family is connected to local magical lore. When journalist Bryce O'Dell arrives investigating the sisters' mysterious history, romance and family secrets begin to intertwine.
Is Clearly Charmed part of a series?
Yes. It's the first book in Amy True's three-book Sisters of the Harvest Moon series. Each installment focuses on a different sister.
What inspired Clearly Charmed?
Amy was inspired by Taylor Swift's song "The Prophecy," along with the magical sisterhood of Charmed and the atmosphere of Practical Magic.
What are good historical fiction books for beginners?
Amy recommends Sarah MacLean's Hell's Belles series for historical romance fans, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink, and Lovely War by Julie Berry.
When does Entirely Enchanted come out?
Entirely Enchanted, the second Sisters of the Harvest Moon novel, is scheduled for April 6, 2027, and follows middle sister Lia's rivals-to-lovers romance.
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