A collage of a man in the back seat of a car.

About Adam

Adam Fulford is an American criminal, artist, and author of his memoir, The Message of the Rose. Born in North Carolina in 1983, Adam’s humble upbringing in the Smoky Mountains taught him to revere nature and appreciate life in all its expressions.

After moving to Colorado in the nineties, and a successful decades long career in the stone industry, Adam’s life was marred by a series of run ins with the law, addictions, and painful losses. In 2017, Adam was sentenced to 35 years in the Colorado prison system after a devastating criminal episode nearly took the lives of multiple people, including himself. It was this event and the subsequent near-death experience that would forever change the context of his life. Adam’s fall, as depicted in The Message of the Rose is a roller coaster ride filled with highs and lows, tears and laughter. His story is a testament of the transformative power of love and the strength of a warrior’s spirit. The brutally honest narrative cuts with a serrated intimacy into the deepest questions that haunt human consciousness. Life, death, heaven, hell, depression, possession, addiction, redemption are only some of the complex topics addressed in this intricate portrayal of Adam’s life. Adam has dedicated The Message of the Rose to his two beautiful daughters, who he lost the day he was arrested.

Today, Adam continues his artwork and in between works at San Carlos Correctional Facility as an Offender Care Assistant providing care to inmates stricken with Alzheimer’s and dementia. He has found his humble purpose in trying to bring a measure of peace to these terminally ill men before they pass into the next plane of existence.

About David Towns (coauthor)

Having grown up in a military family, David spent a few of his formative years in Japan just outside of Tokyo. He was immersed in seeing things like the majestic Mt. Fuji, Japanese women dressed in their colorful kimono gowns and wooden geta sandals, breathtaking cherry blossoms at their peak, and going on school field trips to see amazing temples and inspiring statues of Buddha.

When David’s family returned to America he remembers vividly being taken to church and listening to fire and brimstone sermons, which was a completely different message form his time in Japan. This created confusion fueled by uncertainty and skepticism, especially given his brief introduction to Buddhism and Shintoism. His school and education became a solace, a place of retreat. There he acquired a passion for learning and a deep unescapable hunger for the Truth with a capital T. This quest for knowledge has become a constant theme throughout David's life and continues to this day.

A significant turning point came later in his life when he went through a series of personal challenges that completely changed his planned trajectory. David found himself at a Wayne Dyer talk at Mile High Church in Lakewood, Colorado. It was there that Dr. Dyer introduced him to the teachings of Dr. David Hawkins – a spiritual teacher and author. Intrigued, David immediately bought Power vs. Force from the church bookstore, a decision that profoundly impacted his life. Compelled to delve deeper, David made trips to Sedona, Arizona, to hear Dr. Hawkins speak. These experiences granted him insights into spiritual truths, the meaning and purpose of life, and death that he had been seeking for so long.

Amidst this spiritual journey and his quest for purpose, he met Adam. This tall, lanky kid, with his genuine kindness, made quite an impression on David. He admired Adam's kind-heartedness and compassion. Despite their age difference, they both ironically enjoyed the same genres of music and a deep desire to know the Truth. This shared quest for knowledge became a building block that solidified their enduring friendship over the past twenty years.

A man in an orange jacket and pink hat.