CVNP

A darkened forest scene, bathed in a purple hue, showing the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail at center, retreating into the distance. Text on the image reads, "THE TRAILHEAD 06."
Author Interview, Press

THE TRAILHEAD #06

An In-depth Interview on THE TOWPATH  It’s been a minute since I’ve posted. With several life events happening, including the loss of my father this past summer, the loss of my brother-in-law this past fall, and a whole lot of stress from the day job, it’s been difficult to keep up. And of course, launching my debut novel has come with its own stressors, including learning a new platform for my revamped website, which still has some bugs to work out. But there have been some bright spots related to my book, including a feature from the Akron Beacon Journal, courtesy of Barbara McIntyre’s “Book Talk” column, and one that was recently published on Cleveland.com. It’s that article that I’d like to reprise here, but in its full glory, as there was much the editorial team had to leave on the cutting room floor to keep the reading time reasonable. I have no such bounds for my personal blog and had much to share in the in-depth interview, much of which I think could be interesting reading—if I do say so myself. Hence, what follows is my full interview with Maura Zurick (who did a fantastic job) of Cleveland.com and the local Northeast Ohio Sun newspapers. Could you tell me a little about yourself?  I’ve lived in Northeast Ohio for nearly my entire life, having grown up in Akron before moving to Cuyahoga Falls where I spent a good chunk of my formative years. I attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and earned my bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton. By trade, I am a User Experience (UX) Design professional and leader (currently Director of UX at Rockwell Automation) and my previous employers have included small startups and Progressive Insurance. And yes, I’ve squeezed in fiction writing too! I currently reside in Broadview Heights with my wife Becky, and my sons Nathan (16) and Wesley (10), and love spending time in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and our surrounding “Emerald Necklace” Metro Park system. Congratulations on the release of “The Towpath.” What inspired you to write a time travel suspense thriller set in this region? Thank you! I always knew that I wanted to try my hand at fiction, though it took me a long time to work up the courage. For several years now, I’ve written non-fiction, including writing a monthly column for UXmatters magazine, where I share insights for the global UX design community. However, the itch to write fiction has always been there and I’ve been a life-long avid reader, having devoured everything from Cormac McCarthy to Jane Austen. I knew I wouldn’t be fulfilled unless I gave myself a chance, and so I started by writing a few short stories here and there to see how it would feel and to learn what it’s like to work with a fiction editor. When it came time to consider my debut novel, I admit I was overwhelmed. So, as what I tend to do in my professional life, I chose to make the problem smaller and focus on what I know and know well, which is our region and our incredible Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Doing so made it easier to take on the heady topic of time travel, which was no small task. And finally, I wanted to pay homage to our green spaces, which I feel are unsung and undersold. Though, in a way, I don’t want them becoming too popular! How did you come up with the idea for “The Towpath,” and what drew you to the suspense and time travel genres? As for the suspense side of the equation, I simply wanted to tell a story that got the heart pumping. As for time travel, there’s a deeper backstory. I’ve long been convinced that time doesn’t operate the way we think it does, and books such as Carlo Rovelli’s THE ORDER OF TIME have further cemented this conviction. But there’s a personal side of this too. When I was ten or so, my dad told me that he’d been fishing along the banks of the Cuyahoga River earlier in the day, alone, and he kept getting the sense that he was being watched. But whenever he’d turn to see who he knew was behind him, he’d see nothing but swaying reeds. He was in a hard-to-reach spot. It was early morning and there was a constant drizzle. Needless to say, he wasn’t expecting any company. Perhaps it was the breeze off the Cuyahoga playing tricks on him. Maybe a whitetail deer was passing along the ridge of the steep embankment above. But perhaps it was something else. Someone else. Watching. Now, I should mention that he told me this story after he’d previously described the various indigenous tribes who’d once called the Cuyahoga River Valley home. An association quickly formed in my ten-year-old brain. I feel the best stories always start with the question, “what if?” What if it wasn’t just a ghost watching my dad, but someone from the past—in the flesh? If so, how would that be possible? A story took root from there, and it set me on a journey that soon drove itself, demanding I tell a story that I hadn’t initially expected to tell. In fact, there’s a scene in “The Towpath” where a character is fishing at an out-of-the-way spot in the CVNP and feels as if she’s being watched.  The book is set along the CVNP’s towpath. How important was the setting to the story, and what do you think it adds to the book? The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail isn’t the only familiar setting in the book, but it’s definitely a key one. Many of my favorite stories feature fast-paced scenes that leave you breathless, and again, get your heart racing—even literally—and the Towpath Trail lends itself well to one of the most suspenseful chase scenes in the book. There’s also an ethereal and even foreboding quality to the Cuyahoga Valley, especially in the

Announcement, Book Launch

THE TRAILHEAD #01

ANNOUNCING MY DEBUT NOVEL, THE TOWPATH  Welcome to the first entry in my blog, The Trailhead, which will take you deep into the legends, mysteries, characters, and settings of The Towpath, my debut novel. I will also share bonus materials, discuss the writing process, and delve into the mechanics of time travel—a topic on which there is sure fun to be had. I’m also pleased to announce that The Towpath will be published by Collective Ink in October of 2024, through their Roundfire imprint. Part of Collective Ink’s marketing strategy involves their authors writing their own press releases for their books, which they can then leverage as part of the overall marketing and publicity campaign. Some outlets, magazines, and radio programs prefer to hear directly from the authors themselves. Because of this, and the fact that this is my first blog entry, I figured I’d share my self-written press release, which is as follows: Travel Down THE TOWPATHBut beware, you might not end up where—or when—you expect. By Jonathan Walter Visitors to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) in Northeast Ohio might not realize that there’s more to the park than meets the eye—or any other sense for that matter. For just beneath their feet, deeper than the deepest of troughs of the mighty Cuyahoga River, and more implacable than the sheerest of cliff sides along the valley’s eastern rim, awaits a power that’s beyond all reckoning. We’re talking about the conditions for time travel here, and I’ve written a story that puts a new spin on a genre that’s captured the imaginations—and pens—of legendary authors like H.G. Wells (THE TIME MACHINE) and Stephen King (11/22/63). Note: that’s the last time you’ll ever see me reference myself in the same sentence as King or Wells! In my story, The Towpath, the more you meddle with your own history and lineage, the stiffer the objective and steeper the penalty, which only increases the further you stray from your native time and place and the longer you stay there. There are rules to time travel after all—and there are consequences. Some brazen souls may test those rules, often to their own lurid demise. But there is one person who’s managed to defy these rules and somehow stave off the grave consequences… for now. That person would be THE REDEEMER, who’s determined to prevent her teenaged daughter’s suicide in 2014. She’ll take whatever detour in time and place that’s necessary to achieve her goal, removing anyone who stands in her way. She’s become hardened, brutal, and impassive from these long and meandering journeys, increasing the damage and collateral she leaves in her wake. Consequences and the Butterfly Effect be damned. When she finally discovers that there’s an ancient medallion with powers that would allow her to time-travel freely and without penalty, she and her legion of Iroquois warriors embark on a bloody mission to recover it in the 1600’s. When that mission ultimately fails, she defeatedly returns to her native time in 2021. But she isn’t idle for long. Her mission is renewed when she learns that AARON PORTER, a shy fourteen-year-old with a garbage picking hobby, discovers it in Portage Falls, Ohio in June of 2021—which just so happens to be her native, present time. Now, hot on the trail of Aaron and his friends, The Redeemer won’t hesitate to remove them and claim what’s rightfully hers. My story will take you across hundreds of years, pulling you deep into the legends and lore that have been smoldering in and around the Cuyahoga Valley for centuries. You’ll go underground, including into the cavernous Salt Mines under Lake Erie, speed along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, get lost in a national forest, and find yourself in places and times you might not have ever expected. Oh, and along the way, you’ll be pursued by a brutal killer and her equally brutal warriors from the past. So, get ready and climb onto your bicycle along with Aaron and his friends, Libby, and Simon. Because in The Towpath, you’re not just in for the ride of your life. You’re in for the ride for your life. For more on The Towpath: NovelTime TravelAnnouncementThe TowpathSuspenseThrillerPress Release

Announcement, Book Launch, Writing Journey

THE TRAILHEAD #04

THE LATEST  In this issue, I discuss the cover and design of THE TOWPATH, as well as some inspirations behind it. THE COVER REVEALED This blog template doesn’t support inline images (at least not that I’m aware of), so I can’t post the cover here. However, you can easily see it on The Towpath Overview page or within the Image Gallery, via my concept imagery. I didn’t want to just take some bland photo of it lying on my desk—anyone can do that. Besides, what fun would that be? In a future post, I’ll take you behind those concepts and composite images, as well as some of the others I’ve done using good ol’ Photoshop… with a tiny smidge of AI tech. Moreover, I’ve also routinely posted imagery to The Towpath Novel Facebook Group and on my Twitter(X) account—so, some other places to engage. BEHIND THE DESIGN In the world of literature, I’ve always heard that an author’s expected response to their completed cover design must range from, “It’s amazing!”, to “It’s astonishing!”, and every gush-filled adjective in between. As you can guess (and as I’m finding out), authors don’t have a lot of say on their final cover design. This is why I was pleasantly surprised that my input was actually factored in, perhaps way more than I was expecting. When the creative process was about to kick off, Collective Ink (the publisher), provided a form to capture any ideas an author has for their cover design, while fully caveating that the artist doesn’t have to use or consider any of it. I was also invited to upload any inspirational images or even sketches (which I did provide, but I need time to work up the courage to share that embarrassment with you).  Given I had a glimmer of an opportunity to influence the design, the Visual Designer/creative in me couldn’t resist. I combed through my own photography as well as hundreds of royalty-free images using the platforms specified by the publisher. Eventually, I found the image of The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath trail that you see on the cover, which appeared set during the right time of year in which the story takes place—the June-July timeframe, when the forests of Northeast Ohio are at their lushest and greenest. For that image, my feedback to the artist, Nick Welch—who’s an award-winning graphic design specialist out of the UK with over 25 years of experience designing book covers—was as follows: “Here’s an actual photo of The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where much of the book is set, and the trail is central to more than one key scene in the book. I do like how there’s a bit of mystery for what’s around that last bend.” Additionally, while yes, the title of the book is The Towpath, and it would make sense to show, you know, the namesake trail within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park that inspired it, the cover also needed to communicate the central sub-genre, Time Travel, and also convey some danger too. After all, this isn’t exactly a kid’s book, even if teens are some of the main characters. As such, here’s some additional guidance I offered Nick without any expectations it would be used: Hence, perhaps you can begin to see how the swirling clock motif in the foreground evokes the spiral and the color purple serves as an accent in several areas, including the text on the upper left-hand side on the front cover, and the leading characters for each paragraph on the back cover’s description copy. Nick also darkened the hollow in the trees where The Towpath trail vanishes into that last bend, which I think serves very well and evokes the danger I was hoping for. I admit I had mixed feelings when I first saw the final design given this book has been my baby for over seven years. However, I’ve fully embraced it, even to the point of building all my other conceptual imagery around this central design, hoping to thematically foreshadow it so it would make perfect sense when I shared the final design (which is now) with my followers and subscribers. Well, there you have it. I’d love your feedback on the final design. My goal is to earn the right to publish more books, so even if your thoughts don’t benefit this one, there’s a chance you might help me in the future! WHAT’S UP NEXT I’m going to start looking into the publicity side of things, which I admit makes me squirm, as self-promotion doesn’t come naturally to me. That said, it’s a necessary evil, even for authors who are fortunate to publish with even the largest of publishers, such as Macmillan or Penguine Random House. More to come on that topic. In the mean time, let’s stay connected. Here’s where else to connect with THE TOWPATH and its author (yours truly): Well, that’s all for this post. Until next time! Sapere Verdere. For more on The Towpath:

The logo for Jonathan Walter's website, which depicts a purple origami swan with outstretched wings with the name, "Jonathan Walter" next to it in purple.

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