Touched from Within is a notable first impression from author David Prichard. Set in yOUR own time along The Cotton Belt from the big country of West Texas to the deep bayous of Southern Louisiana comes a fictional truth road novel of deceit, loss, madness, retribution and forgiveness.
Blane Ritchard is a successful restaurateur living a conventional, middle-class life in Lafayette, Louisiana with his wife and two young daughters before he is falsely accused of dealing Ecstasy by a rogue, drug task force of the LPD in collusion with a hometown DEA informant. As Hurricane Katrina builds momentum out over the Atlantic a thousand miles away, Blane’s entire existence is washed away leaving in its wake a damaged man, floods of shame and his family utterly destroyed.
With tramps to Hollywood, the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Iraq, Central America, Southeast Asia and all points in between, Blane’s hasty fall from grace is at times difficult to watch as he slowly descends to the bottom, finally succumbing to undiagnosed PTSD and chronic Bipolar I Disorder. All the while wreaking havoc on everything and everyone in his path.
Blane returns to the eye of the storms in New Orleans to settle the score and collect reparations in an epic tale in the vein of Homer’s Odyssey, Joyce’s Ulysses and Cormac McCarthy’s Suttree. If you can hold onto the book long enough for it to catch fire, as you ride shotgun with Blane, there is no doubt you too will be Touched from Within.
“I came to know David on an all night bus ride to Fort Worth. Explaining the mysteries of life with an ever-present spark in his eye, it became clear to me that he was an eighth lunatic, a quarter genius, half samurai warrior, a thirteenth mathematician, and as for the rest ... well you'll have to read the book to figure that out for yourself.” –Roger Ray, Founding Member of Jason Boland and The Stragglers
“I met David Prichard when he was a soldier of mine after he was returned back to the U.S. Army in Fort Hood, TX and preparing to stand his court-martials in 2012-2013. I willingly testified in his defense on the stand because I genuinely came to know Specialist Prichard and got to see his true self. We spent a lot of time together and although I never deployed with him, he is the kind of soldier that I would have loved to have on my team over in the sandbox. Professionally, his work performance was always stellar; he was reliable and always willing to do whatever it took to get the job done. We have stayed in touch since both leaving the military and I’m excited for his new book and proud of him for taking a difficult situation and using its experiences and lessons learned as a beacon of positivity through creative writing. In sharing this story I believe he will touch and uplift many people who may be going through their own trials and tribulations in life.” –Angelo Michael Mupo, IV, former Sergeant First Class with the U.S. Army
"When I met David early in his career and life, he always impressed me with his drive and passion for life and the people around him. I know he will take this same passion in the literary world he is now embarking on.” –Norman J. Abdallah, Former CEO & Board Director of Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group
"I first met David when he came to see me as a patient in 2013 while he was in the Army, stationed at Fort Hood in Killeen, TX. David and I have stayed in contact over the years, which is rare in my field. I have heard a firsthand account of many of his unique and intriguing experiences that are addressed in 'Touched from Within' and they make for an exciting read, as readers are thirsty to learn more. His ardent temperament, unashamedly honesty, sense of compassion, and genuineness give me confidence in recommending this book to others looking for hope and encouragement to keep going. I applaud David for his courage and perseverance in his latest endeavor." –David A. Stulman, Ph.D.
“Fucking crazy ass shit!” –Indiedanajones
