Truthtelling Meets Redemption in Local Author’s Debut Novel

All’s fair in love, sex, drugs and a splash of rock and roll.

On April 21, Rogers Park-based artist and storyteller Debora Masterson is set to release her debut novel “FREEDOM QUEST: A Love Story” — a tale rooted in truth and absolution alike.

Masterson began her career as a dancer and singer with special interest in musical theater. Early in her artistic endeavors, Masterson met Michael, her memoir-adjacent novel’s protagonist, and the rest was history — until now.

“When I first met him, I was 15, and we fell madly in love,” Masterson said. “I was in the original band Freedom Quest in 1973, and it was a very tumultuous time with the Vietnam War, sex, drugs and rock and roll.”

As proud members and contributors of the hippie movement, Masterson said the young couple found themselves whisked away from each other in the progressive societal tide of birth control, psychedelics and the Free-Sex Movement.

Having lost contact with one another, Masterson settled down to raise two sons of her own.

Masterson would never see Michael again — or so she thought.

“30 years later, we ran into each other again and realized the love affair was still strong on both sides,” Masterson said. “It’s definitely a love story.”

As a way to navigate innocence and guilt, Masterson’s artistic decision to change each character’s name from their real world counterparts brings an even fresher sense of authenticity to the tale.

Michael’s real name was Craig Ingraham, a leading member of the band Freedom Quest.

“He got busted for marijuana, which is ironic because these days he probably wouldn’t be,” Masterson said. “He ended up going to jail for three days, then went into honor camp and the band broke up.”

After Masterson chose to leave him, she said Ingraham hit rock bottom, giving up music altogether.

He was very close to getting a record deal,” Masterson said. “He just gave up, sold all of his equipment, moved to Hawaii with a couple of friends and ended up joining a religious cult.”

Years later, after suffering physical abuse and mental turmoil, Ingraham escaped the cult and began a new life in Sausalito, California under an alias. 

Ironically, the only reason he found himself in his position was because of his debut album, which he used the revenue from selling marijuana to finish.

Although she never thought she would be an author, Masterson noted how her fine arts career as a singer, dancer and academic paved the way for her to find herself today. She said she knew she couldn’t let the story be forgotten. 

“I felt I had to write this book,” Masterson said. “The story was so good, someone had to write it.”

Given her seeming connection in Ingraham, the up-and-coming author knew this was a story of redemption.

“It’s a coming of age story,” Masterson said.

Throughout the writing process, Masterson found she had to reflect on her relationship with Ingraham. She said she needed to understand how he could join a cult and give up everything he’d ever worked for. 

This was somebody whom she’d always considered strong, intelligent and talented, so she said it caught her by surprise. As a way to give the story authentic justice, the writer explored her own questions in interviews with Ingraham and other cult members.

“We spoke about it when we got back together again,” Masterson said. “He said, ‘I feel terrible about this, but I have to tell you about this period in my life.’”

Masterson learned of Ingraham’s experience in the cult, which she said seemed more sinisterly disturbing than anything else. 

The cult leader made it his personal mission to learn everything about Ingraham, using manipulation to coerce him into obliged membership and submission. In preying on him during his lowest point, the manipulator won him over in one fell swoop. 

“That was the painful part, having to write that,” Masterson said. 

This complex culmination of creativity and chaos took Masterson a whopping five years to finish, with several false senses of resolution along the way. 

Having written the original draft in first person, the aspiring author thought she’d struck literary gold. After meeting with an editor, she said she realized the importance of telling the story through a third-person perspective, tacking four months onto her production process.

She described the whole process as a blend of commitment towards artistry and dedication to the truth, an integral skill for authors learning gaining their bearings in the field. Once she mastered her techniques, Masterson let her newfound skills influence additional goals for the project.

“I have big dreams for this,” Masterson said. “I think it would make a great limited series or a feature film.”

Boasting a novel written, edited, published and set to release, there’s no telling what lies in store for the local creative. With her sophomore novel “Keeping Secrets” in works, Masterson said she has plans to take the literary scene by storm with truthtelling mastery.

In sharing her biggest hopes for readers, Masterson acknowledged the emotional complexity and full-circle awe shining through each page.

“I hope they cry at some point, because I cried when I wrote the ending,” Masterson said. “It’s a really emotional, poignant story.”

One thing’s for sure — this project is just the beginning for Debora Masterson.

“FREEDOM QUEST: A Love Story” is available from booksellers starting April 21 and can be pre-ordered now on Amazon. 

For an accompanying soundtrack, Freedom Quest’s songs are streaming on all platforms.