This is the first post I've typed up on my laptop computer. I just got this new toy, an HP and my first ever laptop model, around 10 days ago. I've used my friends' Macs before, that turned out to be good practice for getting accustomed to a different sort of keypad and using my a touch pad in place of a mouse. The most important aspect of this acquisition is that I'll no longer be at the mercy of my desktop computer. That one is over 5 years old, and showing strain from the years of heavy use. It sometimes has trouble contacting the server I access, which left me with difficulty in emailing some people in a timely manner on an important matter.
This new laptop will also aid me in my D&D efforts. I promised a DM-ing update, but my debut was postponed until July 10. Even that ran into a roadblock, but as of this writing, I believe I have sidestepped that. I've been familiarizing myself with an adventure titled Faint Hope, and the gaming should commence roughly 23 hours from now.
There's a trend developing for Ian C. Esslemont books to receive nautical-themed covers. The illustration above is an in-progress design for his forthcoming Stonewielder. It's by Steve Stone, and is even better, IMHO, than his previous fine efforts for Esslemont's Night of Knives and Return of the Crimson Guard. Stone has been Steven Erikson's primary UK cover artist, but only his painting for Deadhouse Gates was used on the American edition. The rest, starting with Memories of Ice, had art by Todd Lockwood. I seem to be in a distinct minority in really liking Lockwood's work. His efforts have been widely derided around the web, and Tor has apparently finally bowed to fan pressure. Already, Tor's Dust of Dreams used a modified form of the book's UK artwork. Now, I see that Midnight Tides and The Bonehunters have been retro-fitted with Stone paintings. I assume this will please many readers. The Stonewielder cover has quickly received acclaim at MalazanEmpire.
BTW, Malazan fans, or the merely curious, should check out the read/reread that just began at Tor.com. It had an abortive start a few months ago, but now seems to be ready for a fun year or more of discussion and commentary. I've already posted a comment in one of the threads, and plan to add many more as it progresses.
Finally, here's an off-topic bit of advice. It's been extremely hot in the NYC area lately, especially in my apartment. I don't have air conditioning, and the heat overwhelmed my usually-reliable fans. My kitty, Ember (you can see her pic if you scroll back on this site to over a year ago) was suffering from the heat. I found her on her side, panting, which meant her little body was overheating. I did a websearch on how to keep cats cool in hot weather. The best suggestion I found was to place a wet towel in the freezer for a while, before allowing the feline to lie on it. This was extremely successful in getting Ember back to normal. Even when the frozen parts thawed, just being atop the dampness kept her in good shape. Cats sometimes have an aversion to wet things, but Ember spent the better part of 48 hours on that towel! So don't hesitate to give this a try, if you think it will benefit your furry friends.
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