'Stronger by the Day' Book Sales Reach 100,000 Mark
Since the release of "Stronger by the Day" in January of this year, more than 100,000 copies have sold. Author of the self-published memoir, Raymond E. Lumsden, is now seeking a literary agent to represent the book and screenplay version of the book.
Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) May 11, 2007 -- Raymond E. Lumsden's first book, "Stronger by the Day" has reached a milestone: selling more than 100,000 copies. The self-published memoir is not for the faint of heart. The 88,000-word, 292-page book is about abuse, neglect, courage and redemption.
Raymond's childhood is one that most kids could not even imagine:
o I could feel the steam warm my face as I stood on a chair beside the stove looking into the pot of boiling water. "Go ahead, stick your hands in there," my stepfather Kevin would order us individually. "This will teach you not to steal," he would scream. Sometimes I would cause a distraction to take his attention away from my siblings to stop their screams of pain. "Hurt me Kevin, hurt me instead!" I would cry out.
o Kevin regularly drank his take home pay. There were times we had no electricity, and frequently my mother would say that she wasn't hungry so there would be more food for the rest of us. Despite the beatings, and the constant pang of hunger in our stomachs, my brother Bill and I knew it was better to have a family.
o We watched from the driveway as mom, Kevin and our little sister drove away with the U-Haul containing all of our family belongings. We were alone, with only the crumpled twenty-dollar bill my mother pressed in my palm and the packs on our backs. Left to live off the streets, we did whatever was necessary to survive.
The book relates how Raymond, at age 16, was sentenced as an adult to 25 months in St. Cloud, a maximum-security prison, for burglarizing a community clubhouse in search of food, clothes, and cash. He was incarcerated with cellblock mates who were rapists, murderers, gang members and hardened criminals. He learned another level of survival, dealing with inmates looking to kill him for canteen money or who wanted to rape him. Also, while in prison, he began a seven-month relationship with a prison guard named Karla, which resulted in her becoming pregnant and eventually losing her job.
But even tougher lessons occurred when Raymond got out of prison. "I learned that the real prison time is done on the outside where there is no true freedom or redemption. An ex-con never serves enough time or is ever fully accepted back into society again."
He decided to create new identities for himself in order to be anyone other than Ray Lumsden, the person he said filled his life with "shame, guilt, and fear." He was eventually arrested for this, after his wife turned him in to the police. "I was charged with 3 felony counts. The law enforcement agencies involved were absolutely shocked. They were certain that this method has never been done before."
After being told that he would spend the rest of his life in prison and would never see his children again, Raymond made a third and final attempt on his life while in a jail cell. "I was unable to be revived for quite some time by medical staff. Miraculously, and through divine intervention, I survived. The experience made me decide to change the direction my life was taking. I became determined to help at-risk kids."
"Stronger by the Day" offers hope and clearly illustrates the determination of the human spirit to survive despite overwhelming adversity. To learn more about Raymond Lumsden or to order a copy of "Stronger by the Day," please visit www.raymondlumsden.com.
About Raymond E. Lumsden
Raymond Lumsden is a retired successful mortgage broker living in Texas. He is currently a Pastor and active counselor within the Youth Prison Ministries and in the process of starting his own children's charity. He is passionate about making the public aware of issues facing at-risk children.
"Stronger by the Day" was released to all major media outlets on January 27th, 2007. To date, it has sold more than 100,000 copies and received strong reviews, all without the representation or guidance of an agent or marketing campaign. Raymond has traveled to book signings, and spoken nationally on both television and radio. "Stronger by the Day" is the first of three planned books. It has been adapted to a screenplay by the same name and is currently being optioned. Raymond is looking for an agent to represent him and the screenplay version of "Stronger by the Day," along with future book releases.
"Stronger by the Day" is available at all major retail outlets, including Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and through Raymond Lumsden's website at www.raymondlumsden.com.
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