Indie Spotlight: March 2026

Food & Drink

New Jersey Brewery Guide

Author statement: “I discovered the growing New Jersey brewery scene in 2014. After visiting over a dozen breweries, I searched the internet for a book about area breweries. The only books I found were very outdated and only referenced about 20 or so breweries when over 150 were open. The New Jersey Brewery Guide covers them all!”

Of Spice and Stone

Author statement: “In this collection, I explore concepts of creation and destruction through food, cooking, and recipes. Also explored are notions of family and inheritance across Asian and Mesoamerican food culture. This collection began with the desire to write about very different subject matter than what I am usually accustomed to writing about.”

Travel Adventures

My Way on the Camino Portuguese

Author statement: “I walked the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon, Portugal, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain—about 360 miles. The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage walk to visit the remains of Saint James, the apostle. My story is about the trials and successes of my Camino and impressions of Portugal and Spain.”

The Patchwork Cloak of Kamal Bey: An East-West Memoir

Author statement: “This travelogue has its origins in the desire to reconcile two worlds that I have long simultaneously inhabited: the West where
I was born and raised, and the East in whose culture I was raised by my parents. The stories in the book recount my attempts, by way of unusual adventures in colorful corners of the Middle East, to find stronger cultural belonging and a deeper sense of home than what I was used to back in Canada. Learning about the region and the differences between those two worlds ensued.”

Stray: Breaking Free, Falling Hard and Growing Stronger

Author statement: “Some journeys aren’t just about the places you go; they’re about who you become along the way. My book is a travel memoir spanning five continents, blending vivid explorations of culture, history, and place with the messy art of self-discovery. This story was born from over 15 years of living and working abroad. I kept detailed journals throughout my travels, capturing moments that were confusing, illuminating, and transformative. Those journals became the foundation of this book.”

Troika: Three Generations, Three Days, and a Very American Road Trip

Author statement: “I wrote Troika without knowing what kind of book it wanted to be. I followed curiosity instead of outline, and allowed the story to keep surprising me—tonally, structurally, and emotionally. What emerged is part road trip, part family archaeology, part cultural remix. I think of it as a memoir about movement: across landscapes, across generations, and across the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.”

Children’s Books

Diwa of Mount Luntian

Author statement: “I wrote Diwa of Mount Luntian as the first of a planned five-book series to keep Filipino mythological characters alive for diasporic families through stories they can joyfully share with their communities. Growing up in the Philippines and now raising my child in the U.S., I wanted to introduce these figures in a way that felt welcoming and relevant, rather than rooted in fear. My background in somatic practices and my experience as a Waldorf parent shape both the story and its pacing, with an emphasis on daily rhythm and sensory awareness.”

When I Grow Up, I Can Be a Dietitian

Author statement: “Registered dietitians are food and nutrition experts who help people eat better. The book features 10 children who are diverse in race/ethnicity, gender, and ability. Each child imagines growing up to become a registered dietitian and work in a different setting such as hospitals, research, sports nutrition, community nutrition, or the military. Readers learn what dietitians do in different settings. Each child’s favorite fresh vegetable paired with a unique dip or topping is highlighted.”