Benji Kurtz, Publisher
Benji Kurtz is pleased to have assembled a strong team of experts at Vivid Thoughts Press. Relatively new to the whole-food plant-based lifestyle, Kurtz recently lost over 130 lbs. and has transformed from a lifelong obese adult to a health-conscious one.
An entrepreneur since young adulthood, his experience ranges from broadcasting to online marketing to matchmaking sites. He is pleased at the opportunity for Vivid Thoughts Press to bring a message of good health and environment conservation to the masses, while slightly tweaking the traditional publisher/author relationship to bring more revenue to the author with more modern benefits for all.
Richard Allen, Consulting Editor
Richard J. Allen is a two-time Emmy-Award winning writer who also serves as Professor of Film, Television and Digital Media at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Having received an MFA in Playwriting from Indiana University, he has had plays presented in a wide variety of forms and venues over the past three decades, including Seducing Sally (Stage West); The Seduction and Deception of Mozart (University of Texas, Arlington); Professor Allen Writes a Book about Popular Culture (Scott Theatre); Return to Planet Zoloft (Fort Worth Country Day School,); and The Man Who Killed Rock Monennoff (Theatre-in-the-Square). His most recent work, Starbright & Vine was produced at Fort Worth’s Stage West theatre earlier this year. Parashah Plays – Allen’s collection of short comic plays based on the Bible – are published by Behrman House and performed at synagogues and schools across America. Richard’s television credits include Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and As the World Turns. He is blissfully married to Cantor Sheri Allen and has three spectacular children: Jeremy, Emily and Rebekah.
Janell Parque, Copy Editor
Janell Parque of An author’s Accomplice has a B.A. in English with an emphasis on Journalism from Chapman University in Orange, California. For ten years, she was a proofreader for CME, Inc., which published The Psychiatric Times medical journal. She has always proofread – her whole life, to either the delight or the chagrin of those who ask her to look at their work. When friends and family members bring her something to read, she always asks whether whatever she’s reading has already been submitted, so she knows whether to get out her red pen or not. She loves to read! Janell always appreciates new readers of her blog.
David Alexander, Design Consultant
David Alexander has been working in graphic and web design for over a decade as the owner of Upgraded Image Creative Services. Alexander has done logo and web designe for countless companies and was instrumental in the development of the American Haircuts brand. In addition to graphic design, David is also an actor and has been seen television shows such as Homicide Hunter and Swamp Murders and in hit movies such as Trouble with the Curve. He is also a licensed master barber and currently holds the Guinness World Record for shaving the most heads in one hour (live on NBC’s Today Show as part of a fundraiser for the St. Baldricks Foundation — benefitting kids cancer research).
Jason Pelham, Marketing Consultant
Jason Pelham has over 21 years experience in marketing and sales, and brings a wealth of knowledge in both online and offline marketing strategies having managed the marketing programs for numerous websites and businesses. Jason is also a partner in a small web-design firm based in Atlanta. A seasoned blogger since 2006, Jason lives in Marietta, GA with his wife Frances and their dogs Maui & Scout.
