Lantern author

Calley Jones

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Back to SchoolSeptember 2026 event author

Spunky, imaginative fantasy from cozy to heroic

FantasyCozy FantasyYoung AdultScience Fiction

Behind the byline

About the author

Calley Jones remembers the distinct moment, around the age of five, when she realized that someone actually wrote all those books she loved to read; a quarter-century later, she hasn’t looked back. True, there was a detour for a decade or so when she pursued a PhD in molecular biology, thinking she could cure cancer, but her stint in academia led her right back to her keyboard with a million new stories to tell.

Writing about science by day and strange worlds by night, Calley publishes fantasy and sci-fi stories spanning from cozy to chilling. A connoisseur of iced tea, a lover of sea turtles, and (quite probably) a human being, she spends her free time chaperoning her dog through the wilds of North Carolina, hoping to bump into her muse.

⌖ Your favorite coffee shop

Visit the author’s website →

Author marginalia

The fun stuff.

The little things readers always want to know after the last page.

Forever shelf

Favorite books

How does one decide?

In the headphones

Writing soundtrack

Cinematic instrumentals
Pure unfiltered angst
Dog snores

Tiny author lore

Things to know

Would probably give life for a baby sea turtle
Doesn't understand how to tell a "long story short"
Dog's name is Rosy (thank you for asking!)
Fierce advocate of coffee-fueled third places

On Lantern

Stories by Calley Jones

Dark Academia

Traitor to the Throne

The young royals’ best friend is hiding something—even if he can’t lie. Thirtyx Venmagalion was sent to the elite Wydewood Academy to betray the prince and princess. But when his people—the shifty, anarchist Veriths with a physical inability to lie—abandoned him, he befriended the monarchs instead. Now on the verge of graduation, the teens face a threat to the unprecedented peace they’ve enjoyed under King Grimmary. And despite Thirtyx’s best efforts to defend the prince and princess, his heritage makes him a prime suspect. Thirtyx quickly learns that keeping a low profile won’t get him through senior year, especially with his fiery new friend Seerla urging him to speak out. But when he’s juggling so many dangerous secrets, keeping the target off his back is easier said than done. In spite of his best efforts, could he be the one to bring the delicate peace crashing down?