On December 27th, 2013, Joe Martin with Ragnarok Publications sent me a message saying, “Something for you to look at.” It accompanied my very first glimpse of Dämoren’s cover. It was still a bit rough. I hadn’t secured my blurb from Elizabeth Bear yet, the gun had a couple tweaks left to do, but it was the cover. It was MY cover, and it was amazing. After a few more weeks, we had the finished product.

I love this cover. 

It graces my business cards, even my mouse pad. As I type this, it hangs on the wall behind my desk inside a shadow box with an engraved bullet.  The bloody background became the wallpaper for my website. The image of my very first book plastered my Facebook feed so many times over the months leading to and just after my release that I’m sure many of my friends were so sick of it that they Ignored me.

But I made no apologies.  My wife and I refer to Dämoren as our first child, and like any new parent, I wanted to share its pictures with the world.

A year later, Joe sent me my first peek at Hounacier. 

Its a perfect companion to Dämoren. I love the symbols, the skull, the blood-splattered blade. It looks wonderful.  

Again, my friends and family endured months of seeing that image every time they opened their Facebook.  But, as is the case with many second children, it was just a little less than it had been with the first.  

Once I received my first copy it immediately went into a shadowbox beside its older sibling.  

I cherish these covers. They represent years of dreams, hard work, frustrations, and joy. 

However, all things change. With the growth of Ragnarok Publications, their distribution deal with IGP, and the success of the Valducan Series, it was decided that Dämoren and Hounacier will no longer wear those cherished skins. 

But don’t worry, my friends.  The books themselves are not going away. They are evolving into something more to welcome their newest sibling, Ibenus, into the world.  We’re cleaning them up, removing typos, polishing the insides, and giving them a brand new coat of paint.

So in honor of Ibenus’ upcoming release and Ragnarok’s growth, I’m thrilled to present you with this…

My children are growing up.

When Dämoren was first released my good friend Charles got his paperback signed and informed me that he had no intention of ever reading that copy because he knew that one day a first edition would be collectible.  I laughed and told him that I didn’t expect multiple editions. I must now admit that he was right. So for all of you out there that own the original red and bloody covers, congratulations.  You’ll soon be able to say, “I read Skorkowsky back when, and I have the old books to prove it.” Now, it’ll be a couple months before the change, so if you want to pick up the original covers, you still have some time. I’m told it will probably be March when these versions come available.

So about now I assume that my readers are thinking, “OK, Seth, that’s pretty awesome. Those covers look great and all, and thank you for sharing your emotional journey and blah, blah, blah. But you led us here under the promise that you were going to show us Ibenus’ cover. Did you lie to us? Where is Ibenus? Show us the goods!”

All right, all right. Sheesh, I was just getting to that.

So without any further dramatic buildup, I’m proud to present Ibenus.

Joe Martin and Shawn King have done an amazing job.  I’m thrilled to see Ibenus for the first time and I can’t wait to hold it and its newly re-vamped brothers in my greedy little hands. As far as release date, I’ll let you know once we have it.

Thank you, everyone. This wouldn’t have been possible without you and getting the word out on my books.  Because of your support for a fledgling author from a small indie press, we’ve grown into the next level.

And to my Facebook friends and family, I apologize in advance.  You’re about to see these beautiful covers many, many more times.

-Seth