Exploring the senses...hearing

The wind chattering in poplars is captivating to both the ear and the eye, as the leaves twist back and forth between their light and dark sides.

When I write, my preferred music is Christmas music. I know, it's a bit eccentric, but then again it shouldn't be a surprise. I love Christmas and Easter, if I prepare for them, and music is part of the preparation process for me. I've also discovered that music with a good beat is helpful. Diana Duncan, a paranormal writer, suggested turning on something with a faster beat for a half hour, turning off the internal editor, and writing, ignoring everything else. I chose my Pandora Styx station. It worked. Now, I need to learn to make it a habit.

Music  is able to lift me up or pull me down. It has inspired and left me feeling degraded. I've learned to choose carefully. Yes, there are those who would think my choice of Styx a poor one, which is their right, and for them it may be, but for me it's an energizer. I tap my foot and sometimes sing along, or even wiggle in my chair. I come away feeling uplifted.

In fact, it's how I judge most things in my life: If I come away feeling uplifted, then it's a keeper. If I come away feeling uneasy or unworthy or "less," then out it goes... whenever feasible.

Other sounds I love: I miss my dog "talking" to me. You know the sound. It isn't actual barking. I also miss my horse "talking" to me. It isn't a neigh, but a series of vocalizations, and my horse had this gorgeous baritone... I figured if I ever met anyone who talked like my horse I'd marry him. I'm still single. :-D

Birds, streams, a mud pot, rain, ocean lapping at the shore, a friend's voice, a baby laughing...

A little extra: Anne Patrick's newest release is out, today. She's on my must-read list. This is her website:

http://suspensebyanne.blogspot.com/2012/05/trespasses-wounded-heroes-series-book.html

And this is an interesting interview with her over at A Pen For Your Thoughts.
http://apenforyourthoughts.blogspot.com/

Anne asked: What book have you read that you wish you wrote? Or non authors, what book have you read that touched you the most?

My answers:
I haven't wished I'd written another writer's book, but I do wish I'd pull myself together enough to write everything in my head. :-)

The fictional book that has touched me the most would have to be Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien. With my BFF, I re-wrote the end for a HEA for Frodo, which landed me on the path of writing my own stories.