The collector’s companion volume reveals what the original story left untold, bridging Book One and Book Two, a darker, character-driven narrative
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, January 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Acclaimed author Jonathan Walter returns to the world of The Towpath with a gripping companion novella, The Lost Diary of Gil Stanford, offering readers a deeper and more intimate look into one of the series’ most enigmatic figures. Rather than continuing the main storyline, the novella functions as a psychological and historical expansion, unearthing buried truths through Gil Stanford’s personal writings. Presented as a discovered diary, the narrative draws readers into the private thoughts, regrets, and motivations of a character whose influence looms large over the Towpath universe.
“This isn’t backstory,” says Walter. “It’s the missing piece the Valley never wanted found. Open the diary. Trace the pages. Discover what Gil saw down there.”
The Lost Diary of Gil Stanford is available now on Amazon. Click here to purchase copies: https://bit.ly/3LHLWvR
Walter’s latest release explores themes of memory, moral ambiguity, and the quiet weight of consequence. By shifting the narrative lens inward, the novella reframes key events from The Towpath, adding emotional depth and narrative texture without requiring prior familiarity with the series. While it can be read as a standalone work, the diary serves as a vital missing chapter. It deepens the mystery for longtime fans, introduces new readers to the Valley’s unsettling lore, and builds momentum toward Walter’s forthcoming, horror-leaning sequel.
“Publishing the diary in hardcover and paperback allows readers and collectors of The Towpath to own a tangible piece of the world itself. It honors the book by turning the story into something physical and enduring, a piece readers can place on their shelves and hold in their hands,” says Walter.
In 2021, investigators recovered a ruined composition notebook near the Sand Run caves. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than weather damage and incoherent notes. What they uncovered instead was far more disturbing. The diary documents the unraveling of Gil Stanford, formerly known as Vaughn Decker, a once-respected schoolteacher turned recluse whose life collapsed under the weight of generational secrets buried deep in Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley.
Spanning the years 1997 to 1999, the entries chronicle Stanford’s growing obsession with the cave system beneath the Valley, cryptic plans inherited from his grandfather, and disturbing encounters with artifacts that suggest a history far older than recorded time. As the diary progresses, paranoia intensifies, violence simmers, and the boundaries of time itself begin to fracture. These events set the stage for those depicted in The Towpath.
“This diary is presented exactly as it was found, untouched and uncensored,” Walter adds. “What’s written in the final pages was nearly sealed forever, so unsettling that investigators questioned whether it should ever be released. But the Valley doesn’t forget. Some things don’t sleep. They wait.”
The diary may be closed. What comes next is far worse.
About the Author
Jonathan Walter is the author of The Towpath, his debut novel published by Collective Ink Books in November 2024. The novel follows a group of teenagers targeted by a time-travelling killer and her band of Iroquois warriors.
A senior UX design leader with more than 20 years of experience in industrial software, Walter holds 19 patents and has written extensively on user experience for UXmatters, UX Collective, and The Startup. His short fiction has appeared in Ghostlight, The Magazine of Terror, Dark Dossier #32, and The Devil’s Doorbell.
To learn more about Jonathan Walter and his spine-tingling work, visit: https://www.jondwalter.com/
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