I make no claim to be a visual artist; I prefer to make my pictures with words. However, books — at least the printed kind — need covers to give a potential reader some clues about what lies inside.

The UK edition of my book had a lovely cover illustration by John Higgins. (Click on the left for a larger view). As a piece of art-work, and an accurate indication of the kind of story inside, I was more than happy with it — or would have been if the man on the front had not been white. By the time I saw it, it was too late to put it right; and from all I've read and heard since, I was lucky even to see the cover before the book hit the shelves.

The US edition had a cover illustration by Martin Andrews. (Click on the right for a larger view). I saw it for the first time when I received my author's copies and was distinctly underwhelmed. Not only was the man on the cover white (with a grotesque case of five-o'clock shadow), but the woman was either some passing stranger introduced solely for decorative purposes or a very misleading representation of the primary female character.

The cover that you get within the online version is neither of these, but a much simpler one that I've put together myself, based on an original drawing by Evelyn Thomas. It may not tell you much about the content of the book, but it doesn't tell you any lies either.