A Vision Realized, a Passion Fulfilled

Every writer's dream is to have his or her words come alive.

For novelists, the goal is to know that their words are leaping from the page to come alive for the reader. For screenwriters, it's to experience those words both visually and viscerally, as actors both make them their own and render them universal.

In each cases, having one's inner vision be realized in a way that others can share is gratifying beyond words.

Having my first novel, The MoonQuest, published and acclaimed -- by readers and critics, and through multiple awards -- fulfilled the first dream.

Now, with The MoonQuest on its way to the big screen, the second dream is on a rocket-charged trajectory to realization.

A major milestone on that path was realized today with the announcement, by production company Anvil Springs Entertainment, of the cast for our "sneak preview" trailer, a 20-minute film that will include scenes not only from The MoonQuest, but also from each of its two sequels, The StarQuest and The SunQuest.

You can see our cast in the above image. You can find out which part each is playing by visiting our "cast album" on the Anvil Springs Facebook page. And you can hear them introduce themselves and tell you why they're so excited by their characters and this project on our IndieGoGo page (click on the "gallery" link).

No, this is neither the feature nor the final cast. But it's this short film that will inspire investors to finance the feature. And given the incredible talent and crew we've assembled, I have no doubt that we're well on the way to a full-length, big-screen MoonQuest movie. Soon.

Our 14 cast members for this trailer don't know this, but when I stood up on Saturday to introduce myself and The Q'ntana Trilogy stories to them at our first full-cast table read, it was all I could do to not burst into tears. To be surrounded be people as passionate about these characters as I have long been and to know that their commitment and craft would be bringing these stories to life in a way I have never been privileged to experience was profoundly humbling and deeply gratifying.

That these gifted actors (and the professional crew supporting them) are working for free is an additional blessing for which I can't even begin to express my gratitude.

Many miracles surrounded the publication of both The MoonQuest and The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write, as well as the creation of The Voice of the Muse Companion CD. The miracles that continue to unfold with this project leave no doubt in my mind that not only is this trailer production charmed, but that the three features in The Q'ntana Trilogy of fantasy films will follow an equally charmed path.

I've sacrificed a lot for my passion: I now live two states away from my daughter, for example. And I no longer have either a home or car of my own...or much of an income. But technology and love keep me connected with my 11-year-old, and none of the rest really matters. In spite of my increasingly occasional lapses, I know that all that truly matters is that I'm listening to the voice of my muse and following the path of my heart. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that that's the only way visions are realized and passions fulfilled.

I mentioned earlier that our cast are volunteers. Our professional crew is also working for free, plus they're mentoring local film-production students, some of whom are interning on their first-ever professional production.

We've also already received donations from the catering services who will feed our actors on shooting days and by people like graphic artist Richard Crookes, who has donated his time to design our stunning trilogy posters. (Richard, by the way, live in Thailand. So the reach of this project is now global!)

Some of you have also contributed cash donations -- either to our just-ended IndieGoGo fund-raising campaign or directly to the production in our ongoing campaign. Those donations have been particularly welcome and just as miraculous. When you're shooting a medieval-style fantasy in New Mexico, there are some things that just have to be bought...not to mention film-location permit fees that are rarely waived.

If you haven't yet contributed to our fund-raising campaign, I encourage you to do so. Even donations of $1 help the cause! In doing so, you're not only helping my dreams come true, but you're also helping film students and professionals here in New Mexico to hone their craft. As well, you're giving them a shot at being part of a feature-film trilogy that could well employ many of them. That's because the producer's goal is, where possible, to bring many of these volunteers on board for paying gigs on the features.

You can find more information on this project on our Indie GoGo funding page. And you can make your donations directly to the project on the Anvil Springs website. Thanks for your support!

• Q'ntana Trilogy film posters by Richard Crookes; MoonQuest book cover by Angela Farley.

You Can Be a Part of Motion Picture History!

If you're a fan of The MoonQuest book or of visionary fantasy of any sort, you can play an active and important part in getting this award-wining story onto the big screen.

You see, the film trailers we're shooting in March are designed to attract investors to a multimillion-dollar MoonQuest feature. And while our high-caliber professional cast and crew on the trailer have all volunteered their talents, and we've had other critical services donated, there are requirements we can't get for free, such location permits and prop/set/wardrobe odds 'n ends.

That's why we've launched a modest trailer fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo. And that's why I'm urging you to contribute (as little as $1!) to help get the trailer made. It's also why I'm encouraging you to spread the word about our project to friends and family and through any social networks you're part of. (If you've already donated, thank you!!)

Then, when this professionally produced trailer gets us the funding that makes the feature possible and The MoonQuest movie hits your neighborhood movie theater, you can say you were a part of getting it there!!

By the way, The MoonQuest is only Part I of the three-part Q'ntana Trilogy. The StarQuest and The SunQuest (movies and books) are already in the works!

Please check out our campaign page and video on Indie GoGo and be part of The MoonQuest Dream! And watch Facebook on February 15 for our official cast announcement.

• Poster design for The MoonQuest Movie (and its two sequels) donated by professional graphic artist Richard Crookes, who also designed the cover for The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write.

Making The MoonQuest Movie a Reality

"In a land where fear rules and storytelling spells death, only one bard's imagination can end the tyranny."

If you've been following this blog, you know that I've long seen my visionary fantasy novel, The MoonQuest, as a movie. You probably also know that, through Anvil Springs Entertainment, that dream is on its way to becoming a reality.

To help accelerate that process, I'm now working with Anvil Springs to produce three short trailers -- one for The MoonQuest and one for each of its two sequels, The StarQuest and The SunQuest. Together the three stories (book and film) make up The Q'ntana Trilogy.

The trailers will be presented to investors in the coming months to inspire them to invest in a feature-film version of The MoonQuest, the first of the trilogy to be produced.

So far, for the trailers, we've assembled a stellar cast of actors, a dedicated crew and a committed production and postproduction staff. Most are local to New Mexico, but some are planning to travel to Albuquerque from Los Angeles next month for the film shoot. One of the many miracles surrounding this project is that everyone involved is not only a professional but a volunteer who believes passionately in the project. They're volunteering because our starting budget for these trailers was $0.

By the way, miracles have surrounded this project almost since the day the book came out.

It was at one of my very first book-signings, in an Albuquerque Borders Books & Music, that I met Kathleen Messmer, who had just created Anvil Springs and was on the lookout for new projects. She loved both the book (which hadn't yet won its multiple awards) and my screenplay adaptation, and the rest is history.

Well, almost...

Although we began trailer production on a zero budget, we've come to realize that there are some expenses we just can't avoid incurring, not least because New Mexico isn't the best resource for the medieval-style costumes, props and settings required for this type of fantasy.

That's where you come in.

Today, we launched a fundraising campaign on Indie GoGo, the web's premier platform for the grassroots financing of independent creative projects. With your help, we can raise not only our $3,000 Indie GoGo goal for The MoonQuest trailer, but an additional $2,000 to make sure that the StarQuest and SunQuest trailers are also filmed -- and that all three are of the superlative quality that will propel their respective features to the big screen.

To thank you for your contributions as low as five dollars, we're offering a series of gifts, ranging from a public thank you to a day on set during the filming of the trailer. In between, there are opportunities to get MoonQuest merchandise, a studio-photographed headshot, an hour's creativity or life coaching from me...and more. But you can give a gift of any amount -- even one dollar...or less.

A few hours ago, one of my Facebook friends posted this on my wall:

"I don't know anyone who is living their dream more than you."

I feel incredibly blessed to find myself in that place. With your help, I can take that dream to its next level -- not only for myself but for all those who will be touched by the life-affirming message of the Q'ntana stories.

Please share news about our Indie GoGo campaign and our project wherever you can -- on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, on blogs and to your friends. The more people who know about the campaign and the project it's supporting, the sooner you'll see The MoonQuest in a movie theatre near you!

Finally, if you would like to make other types donations (for example, bottled water, snacks, props, wardrobe, etc.) or have skills you can contribute, please write to us at info@anvilspringsentertainment.com.

• Once again, here's the link to our Indie GoGo campaign.

Art Credits: MoonQuest movie graphics by Richard Crookes. MoonQuest book cover by Angela Farley.