Here are the first lines of some emails I have recently received: “Your book is wonderful,” “Your book is not getting the attention it deserves,” “You are a great writer.” I like to believe that these statements are true, but as the flattery continues on for several paragraphs, it begins to seem… well, over the top. Also, several times a week, famous authors claim to have read my book and want to connect with me. Stephen King, Donna Tartt, Delia Owens, and others want me to email them to...

Happy New Year! No, the title is not a typo. I’m a few days late in wishing you a traditional Happy New Year, but the whirlwind of the holidays very much got away from me this year. “Got away from me” like a runaway horse, in fact! The days between Christmas and New Year sped by. I’m not very big on New Year’s resolutions, and I know that most resolutions fade away or fail by early February. However, I do find the new year to be a time to renew, to take stock, and to contemplate how to better...

Did you know that people have more negative thoughts than positive ones? We have more than 60,000 thoughts per day, and the majority are negative. Some studies suggest that around 75–80% of these thoughts are either negative or repetitive. Apparently, our brains have a built-in negativity bias to keep us safe—it helps us identify threats. We’ve simply evolved this way over time. That being said, we don’t need to stay mired in negativity. We can  work to think more positively. We don’t have to...