David Mason
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David J. Mason, the owner and founder of HMG ePublishing, LLC, is an epublishing service provider, electronic book publisher, consultant, and author. Mr. Mason's eBook conversion, publishing and distribution curiosity began in 1997 during the very early formation stages of the digital publishing industry when he converted his previously published manual, the Environmental Compliance Tools Kit, into an electronic book. In subsequent years, he founded HMG ePublishing, an online do-it-yourself website service that allows users to build and launch a website for business and personal applications.
Today, HMG ePublishing provides individuals and businesses turnkey solutions to fulfill their eCommerce and technology needs. Its major solutions include electronic book (eBook) publishing and website design, eBook preparation, production and promotion services, ecommerce, web hosting, email marketing, domain registration, and electronic equipment sales. An advocate for digital publishing, he has perfected eBook conversion, publishing, and distribution to HMG ePublishing offerings. Before starting HMG ePublishing, Mr. Mason served as Vice President for the Hatco Corporation. He handled the Company's environmental affairs and safety programs, regulatory management, corporate imaging, and strategic special assignments such as environmental issues related to potential new acquisitions. Before this position, he served with Velsicol Chemical, ICI Americas, and Hercules Corporation, in a variety of positions, including director regulatory affairs, regulatory manager, regional environmental manager and environmental manager. An aspiring Civil War buff, he is the author of The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes, a documentary novel based on a true story and actual historical events drawn from a variety of sources, including published materials and family chronicles. Mr. Mason holds a Master of Science degree in chemistry from Hampton University in Virginia, and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Norfolk State University. After attending Norfolk State University, he entered the U.S. Army and retired with the rank of Colonel. |
The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes -
The Escape from Enslavement in Southampton County, Virginia
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Historical Fiction
The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes is a documentary novel based on a true story and actual events and was drawn from a variety of sources, including published materials and family chronicles. The novel is the story of Parson Sykes’ a curiously enslaved teenager in Virginia, historic self-liberation followed by his enlistment in the Union Army. The story takes place in Southampton County, near the end of the American Civil War on the slave-holding Jacob Williams’ farm. During the 1831 Southampton Insurrection, the farm came under attack by Nat Turner and his insurgents, which still haunts Jacob. In the book, Parson and Jacob Williams are faced at opposite ends of the disputed points over the moral issue of slavery and secession, a political decision that led directly to war. The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes also functions to draw attention to the important role Black soldiers played during the Civil War as members of United States Colored Troops (USCT). Though less heralded, the USCT regiments were the precursors to Black army units famously nicknamed as the Buffalo Soldiers, Smoked Yankees, the Harlem Hell Fighters, Tuskegee Airmen, and the Red Ball Express. 
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The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes: Book Two - Enlistment in the Union Army
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Historical Fiction
During the American Civil War, over 180,000 African-Americans served in the Union Army, United States Colored Troops (USCT) branch. The Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes: Enlistment in the Union Army narrates Parson’s ordeal from “contraband of war” status to a USCT soldier to gain freedom at age seventeen. Parson served in the Army of the James, which comprised two racially segregated army corps units. The white regiments formed the XXIV Army Corps field army. The Black regiments formed the XXV Corps, commanded by Major General Godfrey Weitzel. It was the only all-Black army corps in United States military history. The Enlistment in the Union Army Corps is the second novel in the Self-Liberation of Parson Sykes trilogy. It cites the historical political events that abetted Parson’s self-liberation in a compelling narrative format, ensuring the readers understand the accuracy and reliability of the information presented. This novel profiles Parson’s ordeal to earn freedom from a contraband of war status, and into a soldier of the USCT. It informs the readers of the overlooked historical role and gallantry of Black soldiers in the Civil War. Black Americans played a decisive role in the Civil War. While Black Americans only represented one percent of the Northern population, they made up ten percent of the Union fighting forces. They performed admirably on the battlefield, shattering white myths that docile, cowardly Black men would fold in the turmoil of war. In book one of this trilogy, Parson brilliantly planned and successfully executed his heroic self-liberation ordeal. In this documentary-style book, Parson narrates his Civil War military service, how he overcame his inner fear of defeat in battle, and how he rebounded from his struggles. He began the hard work of battling the institution of slavery and overcoming its dehumanization of Black Americans. He felt ordained to challenge the oppression, inequality, and discrimination against Black people that preceded his enlistment. In book two, Parson narrates how he overcame his inner fear of defeat in self-liberation ordeal and rebounded from his struggles. As a formerly enslaved Union Army volunteer during the war, he endured racially motivated dangers, causing him to behave much differently than a conscripted Confederate soldier. During his military service, Parson met several mentors and advisers who helped him enhance his resourcefulness in solving social, political, and economic demons by creating novel solutions to overcoming them. When the XXV Corps received orders to attack the Confederates’ fortified lines, Parson embraced the mission as a challenge for freedom and self-liberation. Parson learned the transition from contraband into a freed was difficult, and he would need financial, political, and humanitarian assistance to fulfill his self-liberation journey in the future. With help from federal agencies and bureaus, the names of formerly enslaved individuals were systematically recorded and documented for future generations. Parson realized transforming contraband to freed person needed action from the government, but equal treatment was slow in coming and attenuating racism. SAMPLE PDF |
