In this collection of observations, contemplations, and insights, award-winning author Thomas Lloyd Qualls offers a down-to-earth oracle to help decipher the riddles of modern life.

Part field notes from a seeker’s journey and part teachings of a would-be monk who doesn’t get to live on the side of a mountain, Happiness Is an Imaginary Line in the Sand is convincing in its stubborn insistence that a better world is not only possible, but within our grasp.

The author lives not in a cloistered world of saffron robes, but is knee deep in the muddiness of life. A lawyer who represents people on death row. A struggling parent of fiercely willful child. And a creative spirit juggling the demands of work, money, family, and time.

Flip to any page of these essays of hope, joy, and struggle and you are bound to find a treasure you didn’t know you were searching for.

Thomas is the author of three books, his debut novel Waking Up At Rembrandt’s received national critical acclaim. 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.

You can follow his trail of words and other misadventures at www.tlqonline.com.