Author Interview with Ceasar Mason
by Elizabeth R. (esjro)
Elizabeth: Thank you for agreeing to discuss your new book, On Call: Escorting In Atlanta, with the members of PaperBackSwap. I began reading your book during the first night of a 6 day power outage, and was so engrossed that I finished the book the same night by candlelight! Have you always been interested in writing, or was it your unique experience in the escort business that inspired you to write?
Ceasar: Wow, I take the candlelight statement as such a compliment, thank you. I’m humbled. I’ve always written. The thing is, growing up in Brooklyn, you did not run around and telling your peers that you wrote poetry, short stories, etc…. It would have been the quickest way to get beat up!
Elizabeth: You mention in your introduction that the female characters in the book are composites of people you have known and their experiences. The similarity of your narrator’s name to yours implies that Czar’s character is based closely on you. Is Czar’s story yours, or is he also a product of various other people you have known? Is the personality of Czar and the changes he undergoes as a result of his experiences in the escort industry close to who you are and your life?
Ceasar: You’re not the first to ask that. Yes, Czar is based on my first hand account. And to answer the second part of your question, running the service shaped my approach and perspective on love and relationships. It’s has made me a lot more open minded and non-judgmental. I’m really clear that there grey areas in life, everything is not black or white.
Elizabeth: One of the scenes I found most disturbing in the book was Tamika’s interview and “courtesy call.” Is that type of initiation typical in the industry, or was it Czar’s way of trying to change Tamkia’s mind about working for the service?
Ceasar: That practice was common across the board with most agencies. It was understood before hand by potential “Models”. Tamikia’s initiation was used as another tool to deter her, but unfortunately, to no avail.
Elizabeth: With the exception of some of the johns, the characters in “On Call” are primarily African American and the story takes place in the urban environment of Atlanta. As you wrote, were you concerned about reaching a wider audience? What do you hope that readers who are not familiar with the world you describe will take away from your book?
Ceasar: At the time I was writing the book, I wanted to reach the girls who were victims of poor impulsive decisions. I was not really thinking of a readership. I wanted to paint a dark picture for any young woman white or black that was face with these choices. I hope that readers who are far removed from this lifestyle now have a heart for these girls that are living like this on a daily basis.
Elizabeth: What authors do you enjoy? What people, authors or otherwise, inspire you?
Ceasar: My list of authors is long, but some of my favorites are James Redfield, Robert Greene, George Pelecanos, Maya Angelou and Walter Mosley. I’m inspired by my mother Carol Mason, Bob Marley, Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent.
Elizabeth: You chose to self-publish OnCall. Do you have any advice for other authors who are interested in going that route?
Ceasar: My advice would be to keep total creative control over your project and go directly to your readers. Build your base one reader at a time versus waiting for a publishing company to green light you.
Elizabeth: OnCall features some of your works of poetry. Do you have any new poems that you would be willing to share with our readers?
Ceasar: All of my works of poetry are based on actual experiences. So I’ll share my heartbreak in the following piece below. I was really in LOVE with my ex girlfriend. We were best friends. She wanted to get married and I was not ready 🙁
My pain is your entertainment.
X
My ex my ex for no reason, woke up one morning said
We’ve past our season.
Visions of marriage monopolize her mind.
False security of matrimony now reside.
Unwed black Sista in her thirties
Society views her as dirty.
No children but great career
Where’s the pride with no one to share.
Tick, Tock her Biological clock just stuck
An emergency hoping to cause
Me to act with urgency
I bow out gracefully, nonconformist
Will not be dictated to by society.
I offered you the here and now
Respect, quality time, care & Love
You opted for a title and empty vows
My ex, my ex for a reason she brought
Into the whole cow, getting milk and
I was drinking.
Ceasar Mason
Elizabeth: What can readers expect next from you? Will your next book also be semi-autobiographical?
Ceasar: My next book will be more along the lines of relationships and some of the obstacles that we face in contemporary dating.
Elizabeth: How long did it take you to write “On Call?” Since you have a day job, was it something that you worked on as time allowed, or do you have a fixed writing schedule?
Ceasar: It took me a little over a year to complete it. Tthen a few months to edit and shoot the cover photograph. I typically write in the wee hours of the morning, 2am-5am. It just feels natural. The writing actually takes place in my head; sitting at a keyboard is a matter of just putting the thoughts on paper.
Elizabeth: Are you handling the publicity for On Call yourself? Do you have any advice based on your experiences for how to find the audience for your book?
Ceasar: I am doing the marketing myself. My advice is to connect with one reader at a time. Let that person provide their own word of mouth promotion. People love when a friend refers a book to them.
Elizabeth: Are you distributing your book as an eBook as well? If so, are you finding that many readers are interested in the ebook version versus the paper version?
Ceasar: Yes, my book is available now on Kindle. I’ve found that most die-hard readers love to have that tangible copy in hand. On the flip side, I’ve found that someone won’t think twice about the lesser cost on Kindle and they will do an on the spot purchase. I’ve also allowed the ebook edition to be shared up to 7 times when purchased in the Kindle format.
Thank you Ceasar Mason and Elizabeth for a great interview!
You can read more about this book on Ceasar’s website, CeasarMason.com.
Ceasar has generously offered a signed copy of OnCall: Escorting In Atlanta to a member who leaves a comment. A winner will be chosen at random. Good Luck!
————————————————————————————————————————
