The ALIVE Team
Mary Sheldon
Developmental Editor & "Book Doctor"
Mary Sheldon, the daughter of novelist Sidney Sheldon and actress Jorja Curtright, was educated at St. Clare’s Hall in Oxford and Yale University and graduated from Wellesley College with honors in English. She serves as ALIVE's developmental editor and "Book Doctor." Mary is the author of ten novels including Halfway Home, Reflection, Pandora Brown, The Sisters Etcetera, and Perhaps I’ll Dream of Darkness, for which she received a Brandeis literary award. Her nonfiction work includes The Meditation Trilogy, which she co-authored with metaphysical teacher Christopher Stone. In addition, she has written over a dozen children’s audiobooks including I Am America (featuring the voices of President and Mrs. Bush, President Nixon, President and Mrs. Ford, and Mrs. Carter, as well as numerous internationally renowned actors,) which won a Children’s Book Choice award, and Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales, which was honored with a Spoken Word Grammy. Ms. Sheldon is married, with two daughters, and lives in southern California.
Freda Drake
Director of Marketing & Publicity
Freda has vast experience in marketing, publicity, and public relations, and has appeared numerous times on both television and radio. She frequently teaches marketing and publicity techniques at corporate group events. Freda hosted The Business Edge radio show and was a regular guest and fill-in host on many other radio shows. She is considered a "thought leader" by her peers in the public relations and publishing industries. Freda is an accomplished author and editor. Her first book, Publicity on Steroids: How to Launch and Maximize a Dynamic Publicity Campaign, is considered the industry standard. She has edited and contributed to various publications, including One Word That Will Change Your Life (2020) and Credibility Nation (working title, 2020). She has received numerous awards, including The 2018 "Spotlight Award" by Dustin Burleson Seminars for her "service and contribution... and unparalleled coaching to doctors and their employees." Freda is active in her community, serving on several boards and in other capacities. She believes the only wasted life is one without learning.
Alex Johnson
Art Director
Alex is an accomplished graphic designer with a vast portfolio of design work including books, magazines, and marketing collateral. His work enjoys global recognition, with hundreds of unique covers and interior layouts for books currently being sold throughout the world. Aside from book design, Alex has created several hundred highly acclaimed covers and interior layouts for the San Francisco Bay Area's unique, eclectic monthly, ALIVE Magazine. Having degrees in both psychology and political science, along with masterful skills in woodcraft & woodcarving, Alex possesses unique design perspectives that enable one-of-a-kind creative expressions that translate well in all forms of print and digital media. When not engaged in design work, Alex enjoys hiking, cycling, exercising in the gym, spending time with friends, and playing the didgeridoo.
Kelly Luce
Lead Editor
Kelly Luce earned her BA from Northwestern University, an MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, and was a 2016-17 fellow at Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She has over twenty years of editing experience in both literary and commercial spheres. Formerly editor-in-chief of Bat City Review, she currently serves as editor of Electric Literature's The Commuter. Short-form pieces she's edited have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, Best American Essays, and Best American Short Stories; novels and non-fiction titles she's edited have been reviewed in the New York Review of Books, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and other critical publications. Kelly Luce is the author of the story collectionThree Scenarios in Which Hana Sasaki Grows a Tail and the novel Pull Me Under, a Book of the Month Club selection and one of Elle’s Best Books of 2016.
Steve Wagner
Writer & Editor
Steve Wagner has ghostwritten and edited numerous published books and contributed countless articles on film, music, art, and popular culture to numerous publications, including The Note, Flick Nation, Soundwaves, Cinememoir, Alive Magazine, and The Good Men Project. He is the author of All You Need is Myth: The Beatles and Gods of Rock, (Waterside, 2019), a study of the 1960s music renaissance through the lens of classical mythology. He also narrates the audiobook All You Need is Myth (Blackstone, 2020). Steve is a member of the San Francisco Film Critic’s Circle and was co-host, writer, and executive producer of the Bay Area television programs "Reel Life" and "Filmtrip," reviewing over one thousand films and interviewing over two hundred actors, directors, writers, and musicians, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Williams, Shirley MacLaine, Jeff Bridges, Ang Lee, Jon Stewart, and Stevie Nicks. He was the featured weekly film critic on KFRC Classic Rock FM 99.7 and KKSF Talk AM 910 in San Francisco.
Peggy Johnson
Administrator & Creative Advisor
Peggy Johnson is ALIVE’s Chief Relationship Officer and Creative Advisor. To our established authors and readers of ALIVE Magazine, she is the “ALIVE Brand.” She welcomes office visitors, manages the office, and supports our creative team with the “business end” of the publishing process. Peggy is responsible for all Copyright and U.S. Library of Congress filings, as well as tracking and compiling international and domestic book sales, and issuing the corresponding quarterly author royalty payments. Aside from her administrative duties, Peggy serves in the pivotal role as ALIVE’s Creative Advisor. Prior to working at ALIVE, Peggy was the owner of Interior Fabrications, a company that provided textiles to high-end commercial interior design firms. Having a degree in apparel design, a passion for creating award-winning, fabric quilt masterpieces, and jealousy-invoking gardening skills, her keen eye and seasoned judgment put the finishing touch on every book and magazine that ALIVE produces.
Gary Hernbroth
Success Consultant & Facilitator
Gary Hernbroth serves as ALIVE’s success consultant. When appropriate, he helps clients implement specific strategies aligned with their business or professional practice, and with topics and material in authors' books. Gary is the author of the acclaimed book, "Twist the Familiar: Your Playbook for Success, One Story at a Time," as well as a frequent contributor of business articles in numerous print and online media outlets. Gary is a transformative, nationally acclaimed professional speaker, facilitator, and business coach, known for his keen ability to impact audiences and inspire them to "kick up" their games. Many clients call him their "strength & conditioning coach" because of his straightforward approach and the measurable results he helps create. National and regional associations, Fortune 1000 companies, and businesses of all sizes and types have called upon Gary for his customized approach. Gary brings a unique, functional dimension to ALIVE that can make all the difference in fulfilling our clients' objectives.
Helene Kremer
Social Media & Wikipedia Page Manager
Helene Kremer is ALIVE’s Social Media Manager and the manager of our clients' Wikipedia profiles and pages. An experienced social media content creator, Helene has a keen eye for crafting engaging posts that resonate with audiences. Her creativity includes researching and writing blog posts and articles. Helene is always on the lookout for new apps that help create engagement. She works closely with our website team to ensure our clients' messaging and outreach are consistent and effective across all platforms. Helene's extensive experience and diverse skills in social media, blog content creation, and platform management provide a powerful dimension to ALIVE's marketing services.
Tom Jackson
Chief Technology Officer
Tom, ALIVE's Chief Technology Officer, is a Senior Website Designer, Developer, and SEO Strategist. He holds certifications in Inbound Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and WordPress. Tom is "addicted to learning," which is vital in today's ever-changing online landscape. He stays abreast of new technologies and software developments that impact the online universe, paying particular attention to cyber security, effective search, and ease of use. Tom has built dozens of websites for authors, professionals, business owners, and organizations through our ALIVE media partners: ALIVE Digital Marketing, ALIVE Book Publishing, and his own enterprise, Last Laugh Creative. He built and maintains our podcast hub website, TheTalkPod.com, and our non-profit organization's website, RedGeranium.org.
Like this website? Tom is looking forward to creating one for you.
Lily O'Brien
Copy Editor
Lily O’Brien is a Bay Area copy editor, proofreader, and writer. Passionate about music and the arts, her articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the San Francisco Classical Voice, the San Francisco Chronicle, Strings, Downbeat, JazzTimes, the Pacific Sun, and on Grammy.com.
Lily earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations with a music minor at San Jose State University. Initially working as a publicist for the arts, she discovered that writing and editing was what she loved the most.
Her copy editing and proofreading experience includes numerous book manuscripts, and various publications including the Pacific Sun, Marin Arts & Culture, Common Ground, and a variety of independent business clients.
Lily sings regularly with several choral groups, including the Marin Symphony Chorus, and she and her husband are avid cyclists and world travelers.
Barrett Rodda
Film Producer and Videographer
As a child, Barrett wanted to be an entertainer and make movies. Then he became an angsty teenager and convinced himself that there was no way he could do it. After bouncing from one miserable job to the next for most of his life, he eventually found his way back to filmmaking and started his dream career in film and video production. Since 2015, Barrett has helped companies of all sizes attract raving fans and grow their business by using the power of cinematic storytelling.
Dave Purdy
Radio & Podcast Publicity Specialist
Dave Purdy is ALIVE’s radio and podcast publicity specialist. He was born in Massachusetts, grew up in the Tampa Bay Area, and is a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy. A graduate of the University of South Florida with a degree in mass communications, he spent years in radio broadcasting as a DJ, traffic reporter, news anchor, show host, and producer. Over five years ago, having a wealth of media contacts developed over his many years in the industry, Purdy turned his attention to public relations and publicity. Today Purdy’s connections with leading media producers provide ALIVE with an advantage not enjoyed by other publishing companies, as he specializes in securing great radio and podcast interviews for our author clients. Purdy calls Tampa Bay home and in his free time, he enjoys bike riding, kayaking, camping, stand-up comedy, and the great outdoors.
John Kantor
Voice Talent for Audio Books
John has an extensive background in both secular and Christian radio including work in major media markets such as Chicago (WMBI) and Dallas (KCBI). As a semi-retired minister he continues to be engaged in a nearly forty-year public speaking ministry of preaching and teaching. John is a seasoned communicator focused on giving a compelling voice to your written word. His presentation style is confident and commanding yet also warm and accessible. He energetically welcomes the opportunity to help you expand the reach and impact of your literary vision.
Eric Johnson
Publisher & Comic Relief
Eric Johnson is the COO of Advanced Publishing LLC, the parent company of ALIVE Media & Book Publishing. He is the publisher of the San Francisco Bay Area's most eclectic editorial monthly, ALIVE Magazine, and the founder and owner of the podcasting hub, The Talk Pod. Prior to launching ALIVE Media in 2005, Eric was a manager and editor for Eagle Publications and The Valley Citizen Magazine. He has written hundreds of columns on a variety of topics for ALIVE and The Valley Citizen and authored dozens of feature articles on topics ranging from politics and behavior, to religion, science, and economics. His business writing has appeared in publications such as Dental Economics Magazine, Podiatry Management Magazine, and Firstline. Prior to his work in media, Eric was CEO of ground-transportation and Alpine skiing recreation company for fifteen years.
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