Jaleta Clegg

Biography

I love telling stories ranging from epic space opera to silly horror to anything in between. I've had numerous stories published in anthologies and magazines. Find all the details of my space opera series at http://www.altairanempire.com

For the latest updates on my stories, check out my webpage at http://www.jaletac.com

My current day job involves teaching kids to play the piano. I also love piecing quilts together, crocheting tiny animals, and watching lots of bad 80s movies.

Smashwords Interview

Do you remember the first science fiction book you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I discovered an old copy of "The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet" when I was eight. I wanted to build my own spaceship, just like the boys in the story. The idea of traveling to another planet and meeting aliens intrigued me to the point I went looking for more stories like it.
That led to "A Wrinkle in Time" and Andre Norton's space adventure stories which led to a magical section of the library known as science fiction/fantasy. I've never looked back.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
That's like asking me to name my favorite children. The answer would be the same - ALL of them! I have shelves and shelves of science fiction and fantasy books and I love them all. They invoke a sense of wonder, sometimes fear and trepidation, sometimes hope, but always something new.
A better question would be to name my five favorite authors. I can list the ones I currently read and enjoy - Terry Pratchett, Andre Norton, Julie Czerneda, Frances Pauli, and Patricia McKillip. There are others, like Elizabeth Moon and Patricia C. Wrede and Robin McKinley and Jack L. Chalker and Isaac Asimove and... I could go on all day. Which book and which author are my favorite depend on my mood, the phase of the moon, whether it's raining or not, and which cover looked most appealing. I'm always open to new favorites, too.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Jaleta Clegg online

Where to buy in print

Series

The Fall of the Altairan Empire
A thousand worlds, a trillion people—one woman's destiny will destroy them all.
Nexus Point
Price: Free!
Priestess of the Eggstone
Price: $2.99 USD.
Poisoned Pawn
Price: $2.99 USD.
Kumadai Run
Price: $2.99 USD.
Cold Revenge
Price: $2.99 USD.
Jericho Falling
Price: $2.99 USD.

Books

SplinterLight
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 58,050. Language: English. Published: November 3, 2021 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » General, Fiction » Fantasy » General
A world shattered into multiple dimensions. The crew of a ship lost in time and space. A simple waitress in a dead-end town holds the key to mending existence, but it will take a heart willing to believe and courage to take a leap into the unknown. But nothing will change until time bends backwards. Then the lighthouse beacon will be lit. And the travelers can return home.
A Dragon and Her Girl
Series: LTUE Benefit Anthologies. Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 106,940. Language: English. Published: June 1, 2020 by Hemelein Publications. Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » General, Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - multi-author
Fantasy adventure stories featuring dragons and their girls.
Trace the Stars
Series: LTUE Benefit Anthologies. Price: $5.99 USD. Words: 109,100. Language: English. Published: January 15, 2020 by Hemelein Publications. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - multi-author
Seventeen exciting space opera and hard science fiction tales.
Llama Tell You a Story
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 46,730. Language: English. Published: May 17, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - single author, Fiction » Fantasy » Short stories
Pull up a chair, make yourself at home. That's right. Kick off your shoes, put your feet up on the footstool. Pour a glass of lemonade and settle in. "Llama" tell you a story or three... Monsters, mayhem, magic, and a host of non-human characters to tickle your fancy.
Kepler's Cowboys
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 91,740. Language: English. Published: March 1, 2017 by David Lee Summers. Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has discovered thousands of new planets. Visiting, much less settling, those worlds will provide innumerable challenges. The men and women who make the journey will be those who don't fear the odds. They'll be Kepler's Cowboys. Saddle up and take an unforgettable journey in this anthology of science fiction stories about planets discovered by NASA's Kepler mission.
The Genesis of Madame Yosefie
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 9,680. Language: English. Published: February 23, 2017 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories, Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera
(3.00 from 1 review)
All she wanted was to share her fashion sense, but what Jojo got was involvement in political scandal and assassination attempts.
Wandering Weeds: Tales of Rabid Vegetation
Price: Free! Words: 74,510. Language: English. Published: November 14, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - multi-author
Twenty-five tales of evil weeds to entertain, enthrall and change the way you look at the unwelcome invaders in your lawn. From feral tumbleweeds to ravenous seaweed, from alien life forms to migrating asteroid fields, in these pages you will find fairy tales and weird westerns, space romps and chilling horror stories. Scary or silly, wicked or wily, these plants are here to stay.
Poisoned Pawn
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 94,730. Language: English. Published: October 25, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
With their own ship and freedom, life is sweet; until Dace disappears and Jasyn learns the truth about their new copilot.
Priestess of the Eggstone
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 101,280. Language: English. Published: October 21, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
Pursued by the Targon Crime Syndicate bent on revenge, the Patrol intent on recruitment, and the Sessimoniss who want their god back, the last thing Captain Dace needs is a handsome copilot with romance on his mind.
Bite-Sized Stories: A Multi-Genre Flash Fiction Anthology
Price: Free! Words: 38,660. Language: English. Published: September 23, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Flash fiction, Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories
Looking for some short but high-quality entertainment over coffee or a snack? Grab Bite-Sized Stories and fill your stolen moments with 33 indie flash fiction tales. Just 5 minutes per engaging story.
Interagency Cooperation
Price: Free! Words: 7,410. Language: English. Published: August 8, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Short stories, Fiction » Humor & comedy » General
Tess gets an abrupt introduction to the F.B.I. - Fairyland Border Investigations - when two redcaps cross into Goose Creek and go on a killing rampage.
Dark Dancer
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 52,550. Language: English. Published: August 25, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » General, Fiction » Science fiction » Steampunk & retropunk
A strange prophecy haunts the Seligh lords, rulers of the Fey and controllers of all magic in the Summerlands, a prophecy that foretells their fall. At its heart, is a young human woman with no memory of her power or potential to destroy their world.
Redemption
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 129,370. Language: English. Published: June 10, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
The Empire is disintegrating, leaving all civilization on the brink of collapse. Roland sends Dace to Linas-Drias as his ambassador, to try to salvage what she can. But things are worse than anyone suspected. Not even Dace can save the Emperor from the mysterious Ice Queen and her plotting.
Phoenix in Flames
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 135,290. Language: English. Published: June 10, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
The Phoenix is deep in syndicate territory and they're out for blood. Lowell's power base is broken and Dace is left unprotected. Jasyn will have to marshal all her resources to rescue Dace from the wrath of her enemies.
An Indecent Proposal
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 152,100. Language: English. Published: May 12, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
Dace faces her most challenging assignment yet - mingling with the high society of Linas-Drias, capital of the Empire. Vance hands her a golden opportunity to look for the traitors pulling the Empire apart, but when her pretend engagement becomes all too real, she's in too deep to escape.
Chain of Secrets
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 133,350. Language: English. Published: April 29, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
Dace believes Tayvis is dead, so when Lowell sends her to her homeworld to start a civil war, she doesn't care if she survives or not. But as she struggles through the tangle of deceit, betrayal, and lies and startling revelations about her own past, Dace finds she does want to live. But her chances of survival are dwindling with every hour.
Soul Windows
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 40,230. Language: English. Published: April 23, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - single author, Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories
The eyes are windows to the soul. What would you find if you could look deep enough? These ten tales of science fiction and fantasy explore characters good and evil, placid and troubled, dark and light. Journey through the windows of the soul. You may be surprised by what you find. Original stories by Jaleta Clegg.
Brain Candy
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 48,720. Language: English. Published: April 22, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Black comedy, Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - single author
From evil nine-year-old Shirley Temple look-a-likes with possessed collectibles to green gelatin salad blob monsters to incompetent vampires to dyslexic witches, these stories feature silly and not-so-silly horror. Eighteen tales to send chills up your funny bone and tickle your spine. Or is the other way around? Come explore the strange imaginings of Jaleta Clegg with these short stories.
Obsidian Tears
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 119,890. Language: American English. Published: December 18, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
When Tayvis goes missing, Dace can't turn her back on Lowell's request for her to investigate. Especially not when he hands her the shattered remains of the Eggstone. But her decision might cost her heart and her freedom.
Jericho Falling
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 120,940. Language: American English. Published: December 17, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
When a desperate stranger accosts Dace to demand her help, it leads to a tangled morass of treason and secrets that could destroy everything she loves.
Kumadai Run
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 100,040. Language: English. Published: December 14, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
(3.00 from 1 review)
If you ever find yourself as crew on a ship with newlyweds, don't go. Dace wishes she'd taken her own advice. But the route looked safe enough, until they spring a trap five hundred years old and end up trapped on a planet teetering on the brink of destruction.
Cold Revenge
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 137,750. Language: English. Published: December 14, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Space opera, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
(4.50 from 2 reviews)
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Jerimon is about to serve Dace to the Targon syndicate. On ice. It doesn't matter that he's doing it on Lowell's orders. Targon wants Dace's blood. They won't stop until their revenge is complete and her life is in ruins. And they won't wait for the Patrol's trap to snap shut first.
Second Chances
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 7,500. Language: English. Published: August 2, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories, Fiction » Science fiction » Adventure
(5.00 from 1 review)
Paltronis may not have started the fight, but she ended it. And her future with the Patrol. Facing criminal charges, she gets one last chance to prove she's not a total screw-up.
Dusting Wars
Price: Free! Words: 1,020. Language: English. Published: June 18, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Black comedy, Fiction » Fantasy » Short stories
General DB and his dust army fight off a horrendous monster with the help of the outlawed Ferrous One.
Whisperer
Price: Free! Words: 3,610. Language: English. Published: May 23, 2013 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Paranormal, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
(4.50 from 2 reviews)
Tori Jespers, private investigator, tackles the unusual in her small town of Goose Falls. When wolves move in, it's up to her to stop their rampage.
Have You Seen Tarum?
Price: Free! Words: 3,380. Language: English. Published: November 15, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Contemporary
(4.33 from 3 reviews)
Kimberly has given up hope of having anything more in her life than her grandmother, until crazy old Mr. Jeffries asks, "Have you seen Tarum?"
Regret
Price: Free! Words: 2,780. Language: English. Published: November 15, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories
(5.00 from 3 reviews)
The invention of the Emoticator promises to free mankind from regret, but is that really such a great idea?
The Vicar's Revenge
Price: Free! Words: 1,960. Language: English. Published: September 22, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Contemporary
(3.67 from 3 reviews)
Magic berries, shapechanging, and the end of the Vicar's patience add up to mayhem in the small parish of Terrington Green.
Letting Go
Price: Free! Words: 2,090. Language: English. Published: September 11, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Short stories
(4.75 from 4 reviews)
If you could keep your loved ones forever, would you? Susan must choose whether to watch her mother slowly fade away or preserve her.
Nexus Point
Series: The Fall of the Altairan Empire. Price: Free! Words: 98,390. Language: English. Published: March 4, 2010 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » General
(4.00 from 11 reviews)
Stranded on a primitive world, betrayed by her crew, facing death at the hands of the natives, hunted by drug smugglers, Captain Dace has one hope of survival - convince the Patrol agent trying to kill her that she's innocent. But on Dadilan, no one is innocent.

Jaleta Clegg's tag cloud

adventure    adventure action serial    alien    altairan empire    alternate reality    animals    anthologies    anthology    anthropomorphic    astronomy    clean romance    comedy    contemporary fantasy    dimension travel    dragon    dust bunnies    evil plants    exoplanets    fairyland    fantasy    fantasy 99 cents    fantasy action epic battles    fantasy contemporary    fantasy short stories    fantasy stories    fantasy story    female heroine    flash fiction    fractured reality    fractured universe    futuristic    futuristic invention    hard science fiction    horror    horror stories    humor and action    humor fiction    humor stories    humorous crime    humorous fantasy    humorous horror    indie author    kepler space telescope    magic    magic berries    murder    paranormal action adenture    paranormal fantasy    paranormal romance    plants    portal travel    revenge    science fiction    science fiction adventure    science fiction romance    science fiction series    science fiction short stories    science fiction stories    science fiction story    scifi stories    series scifi    sf adventure    sf romance    sf series    shapechanger    short stories    short story    short story collection    silly horror    space adventure    space cowboys    space opera    space opera series    speculative fiction    steampunk fantasysteampunk adventurefae steampunkfairyland fantasy    time travel    weird fiction    werewolves    ya adventure    ya adventure series    ya science fiction    ya series    young adult adventure   

Smashwords book reviews by Jaleta Clegg

  • Once Upon a Dark and Eerie... on Feb. 01, 2011

    If you’re expecting a full story, fleshed out and finished with everything neatly wrapped up at the end, this isn’t it. Once Upon a Dark and Eerie is a collection of snippets and teasers, short bits that hint at dark and twisted stories and characters. Some were haunting, others disturbing, a few laugh out loud funny. The book is divided into sections with an overall theme: Dark Musings, Past Echoes, Creatures & Fairy Tales, and Grim Poetry. I haven’t been a fan of this type of work before. I refused to read it for years. I think I missed out on a lot of great reading, if this book is any indication. My only complaint is that the story snippets left me wanting more, much more. I wanted to see where the characters ended up. The very short writings caught my imagination and teased me with possibilities. I will definitely be reading more works by A. F. Stewart. For now, go to Smashwords and download at least the free sample. Try this book. You won’t be sorry.
  • Sink or Swim on March 14, 2011

    Sink or Swim is a fun murder mystery. Stacy has a light touch with the murder part of the story, focusing mostly on Cassidy's personal struggles and unexpected romance. Let me back up just a bit and give you an intro to the story. Cassidy is a contestant on a reality show, Sink or Swim. She comes in second, losing out to a big jerk. She has to return home with nothing when she was hoping to win the million dollars and use it to open her own fitness gym. But instead, she goes back to work for the local gym as a trainer. Her celebrity status does seem to be opening a few doors, but not enough. Cassidy is frustrated and depressed. And then the jerk turns up murdered. Is someone stalking the contestants on the show? Cassidy gets some creepy fan mail that scares her into going to the police. Her life spirals out of control as the stalker closes in. Who is he, really? And how big of a threat? How's that for a teaser? I enjoyed the book. I empathized with Cassidy's problems and found myself rooting for her. With a cast of well-drawn characters, Stacy leaves you guessing until the end. Who is the stalker? Cassidy begins to suspect everyone. I followed along, believing and questioning with Cassidy as she tried to build a normal life after her fling with fame on reality tv. If you're looking for a fast and fun read, pick up Sink or Swim. You won't be disappointed.
  • Incident at Walter's Creek on March 14, 2011

    Creepy and entertaining, I'd recommend this short story to anyone looking for a quick read. The boys and their adventures remind me of many of my own childhood antics. The ending leaves you hanging, though, wondering if it is real or not. I'm not usually a fan of scary horror, but Mark's light touch with the story kept me reading and enjoying this tale.