I use Paint.net or Pixlr, and I'm able to design covers fairly easily with those resources. If you already have the photo you want to work with, Pixlr (or PicMonkey) will work very well for you--you can edit the picture, add filter effects, overlay font, etc. An important key is to size the image right at 800x600 (HxW) and if the picture or cover is white, add a small, 2 pixel border around the edge in black (or dark blue).
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