For Immediate Release
February 9, 2008

Introducing Lace and Blade -- a new anthology series of elegant romantic fantasy, edited by Deborah J. Ross, premiering on Valentine's Day 2008.

In the spirit of classic period swashbucklers, Zorro, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and D'Artagnan, brimming with romantic courtly intrigue and dangerous liaisons, with cloak and dagger and perfumed handkerchiefs, the language of the fan and stolen glances, with the manners of Jane Austen and the sparkling rapier wit of Oscar Wilde, here are nine fantastic stories of adventure, derring-do, love, and glamorous yet subtle magic, by such stellar authors as Tanith Lee, Catherine Asaro, Diana L. Paxson, Madeleine E. Robins, Robin Wayne Bailey, Dave Smeds, Mary Rosenblum, Chaz Brenchley, and Sherwood Smith.

En garde, mon amour!

"Lace and Blade offers a banquet of adventure, intrigue and romance. There's something here to delight the palate of every reader's inner swashbuckler!" -- Jacqueline Carey

"A fun ride from beginning to end, with engaging characters and an interesting setting." -- S. M. Stirling

"Packed with compelling, entertaining, and engaging stories! Outstanding anthology with an intriguing theme." -- Jennifer Roberson, author of the Karavans and Sword-Dancer series

Deborah J Ross began writing fantasy and science fiction in the early 1980s. As Deborah Wheeler, she wrote 2 science fiction novels, Jaydium and Northlight, as well as short stories in Asimov's, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Sisters of the Night, Star Wars: Tales from Jabba's Palace, Realms of Fantasy, and almost all of the Sword & Sorceress and Darkover anthologies. Her most recent projects -- under her birth name, Ross -- include Darkover novels with the late Marion Zimmer Bradley: The Fall of Neskaya (DAW 2001), Zandru's Force (DAW 2003), A Flame in Hali (DAW 2004), and The Alton Gift (June 2007), and an original fantasy series, The Seven-Petaled Shield, based on her "Azkhantian tales." She lives in the redwood forests near Santa Cruz with her husband, writer Dave Trowbridge, two cats, and a German Shepherd Dog. In between writing, she has lived in France, worked as a medical assistant to a cardiologist, revived an elementary school library, and has been active in both the women's martial arts network and local Quaker community. Lace and Blade is her first editing project.

Leda titles feature genre-blending fantasy of all flavors, from adventure to literary, from urban modern to ancient worlds and myth. The one unifying factor is the presence of powerful love stories with plenty of erotic tension and sizzle, and soaring emotional impact.