Thomas Lloyd Qualls
Thomas Lloyd Qualls (he/him) is a writer, a condition that is apparently incurable. He is also a storyteller, podcaster, former music festival owner, licensed attorney who has overturned two death sentences, and a one-time vagabond who used to wander the globe with a backpack and three changes of clothes. What he means to say is that he is a human being who, so far, has done all these things. He’ll probably do more things not on this list.
The Midwest Book Review called Waking Up at Rembrandt’s, “an impressive debut novel showcasing an undeniably talented and imaginative author.” His second novel Painted Oxen earned seven literary awards, including the Landmark Prize for Fiction, a Silver Nautilus Award, and the award for Best New Fiction at the American Fiction Awards.
Happiness Is an Imaginary Line in the Sand, his third book, is best described as a portable daily oracle. It is the recipient of two Nautilus awards. With all his creative work, he seeks to bridge the worlds of literary and spiritual and to blur the lines between what is real and what is imagined. He also strives to create worlds where labels are difficult to affix.
fiction
Waking Up at Rembrantdt's
A Novel
Trade paperback, ebook / April 14, 2026
Maggie is a discouraged lawyer, Dillon, a heartbroken vagabond, and Phillip, a frustrated writer. Their stories are told by the mysterious Jillian, part purveyor of spirits and part spiritual guru.
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“An impressive, lyrical debut from an undeniably talented and imaginative author. Highly recommended.”
–Midwest Book Review
“Dipping a toe into this work is pretty much impossible; once you open it, you get drawn in and it doesn’t let you go. The range of creative effort on display here is a bit breathtaking…a skilled writer with an appealing way with words. This story is well worth sharing.”
–Writer’s Digest
“Luminous and inventive, striking literary gold through an unlikely blend of poetry, prose, and spirituality. Reminiscent of David Foster Wallace.”
–Reno Passport
This enchanting novel unfolds at Rembrandt’s Café ̶ ̶ warm, rustic, and inviting, with comforting food and generous drinks. Presiding behind the bar is the insightful, mystical Jillian, who lovingly attends to the deepest thoughts, fears, and hopes of her regulars ̶ ̶ an aspiring writer, a deep traveler, and a disheartened, altruistic attorney. And in the background, the café itself is a character in its own
right with an unfolding, intriguing, and existential story. Have a seat at the bar and drink this all in.
–Stephen Drew, author of Into the Thin, and Around the Forever Bend
“A café where pouring a drink is an act of faith and waking up is the most radical thing a person can do — Qualls conjures a world where the sensual and the sacred are always, and have only ever been, the same thing.”
– Jacob Nordby, author of Blessed Are the Weird and The Creative Cure
Few writers can blend philosophy, immaculate wordsmithery, and emotional truth with the effortless grace of Thomas Lloyd Qualls. Waking Up at Rembrandt’s does more than tell a story; it invites you into a waking dream where art, love, and self-discovery intertwine. There are books you read, and then there are books you inhabit for a while—books that rearrange your inner life just enough that you remain subtly, beautifully changed. This is one of those. Right from the start, you’re pulled into a space that feels at once familiar and otherworldly. As the characters wander through their own awakenings with tenderness and curiosity, you wander alongside them. Like his other books that skillfully bend the rules of literature, Waking Up at Rembrandt’s is lyrical without pretense, wise without heaviness, playful without losing its emotional gravity, and filled with the kind of writing that makes you pause mid-sentence just to savor his view of the world. If you’ve read Qualls before, you’ll recognize the familiar shimmer of his voice. If you haven’t, Waking Up at Rembrandt’s is the perfect doorway. Either way, it will leave you feeling more awake, more connected, and profoundly grateful that writers like Thomas Lloyd Qualls exist in the world.
– Lisa McCourt, bestselling and award-winning author of Free Your Joy
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