Rick Rawes

Here we go, another book, another cover! Only this time around it’s not ‘another book in the wall’. Before the reveal, I’ll share a little bit about the process that’s gone into getting here, especially for those who’ve been with me since the beginning.

The Long Road to Now

Over the years the Heroes & Demons series has gone through a few iterations. My first fumbled attempt as a newbie came in 2017 with Heroes & Demons, using the original KDP cover creator (I cringe – what the heck a gargoyle over Paris had to do with the story, I don’t know). Reworked for the sequel, Hope & Fury, using free stock images and a bit more finagling. Better, but still not what I always wanted.

Then last year, as Book 3 Fire & Water was due to be released, a good friend – a fantastic graphic designer – stepped in (paid of course). Using a combination of his wizardry , and my symbolic vision, we produced a brand new look. The horseman trilogy was complete – but one thing led to another and then my friend was unable to commit to helping further (paid or not).

So, I was left with the indie author’s dilemma as Book 4 approached; three options before me:

• pay upwards of £1000 for a professionally done book cover by a talented graphic artist
• turn to the dark arts of AI to generate a technically proficient but obviously generated cover
• roll up your sleeves and try to learn design for yourself

Well, to be completely clear, I’m not made of money (as many indie authors aren’t – and the snooty ‘spend money to make money’ brigade can clear off) and, when it comes to using generative AI for art of any kind other than as your own mood board, I’m not willing to compromise my morals.

Learning a whole new bunch of graphic design skills it was then! And, since trying to create my own version of the previous covers’ work and match it up to Book 4, I ended up having to go back and start from scratch with all of them. More than that I wanted to, to play and tinker and create in a whole new way seemed like a challenge but one I was ready for.

What Came Before…

First, Heroes & Demons. Deep blues combine with the alchemical symbol for water, beginning as we do with deep revelation.

Then, Hope & Fury. Less about revelation, and more about fracture. Soft dark greens of the marble wrap and the elemental symbol of Earth – combine to showcase war.

The last of the older books, Fire & Water leant heavily into duality. The alchemical symbol for fire the central focus, while burnished oranges of marble showed just how much the world was set on literal fire. And, as anyone who’s read it knows, that’s only half the story – the duality runs deeper than flames alone.

The Biggie – Sinners & Saints!

And here we go, the end (well, penultimate novel). Where everything changes. We finish our elemental motif with air. We keep the marble effect, only now leaning very much into the palette of dried blood. Wounds which linger, which stay with us, which scar. The cover for Sinners & Saints isn’t just a continuation of the theme, it’s fulfilment of a promise. That though the story will change, it’s still not over – nor will the sins of the past be forgotten.

Here’s the culmination of everything we’ve been working toward:

Let Me Know What You Think

There we go, let me know what you think either in the comments or via various socials! But remember, while I appreciate feedback, I also believe in respect. The internet is enough of a wild west that if you’re here for the trolling, keep scrolling. Otherwise, let me know what you think. And if it’s enough that you want to check out the book, it’s releasing 3^rd July, 2026 – you can find all the details here.

A Little Note for Other Indie Authors

A last little word before we head off this time around – although mainly this goes to my fellow independent authors out there in the world. You do you. Truly. Most of us do this with no one to hold our hands and tell us its going to be okay. Social media is a minefield of negativity, of put-downs, and somehow worse than all that – of deafening silence. You probably don’t have an endless coin-purse, an entire marketing department, and the endorsement of celebrities and influencers.

But what you do have, what we all have, is a story. You believed in it enough to write it. So take advice sure, but do the cover your way. Do the book your way. Share it with the world – and do so with an open heart. Someone out there will be drawn to it. Someone out there will love it. Someone out there will see you for it. So until you find them, be that person.

You wrote a story after all. And for each one of us, there’s many, many more who were too scared to. That in and of itself, gives it meaning.

Rick Rawes
3^rd April, 2026
Leeds, West Yorkshire