Michael Karpovage is a native of western New York and a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology. He has worked in the design and marketing field for over twenty years as an art director and map illustrator. Michael is a Mason with Hobasco Lodge No. 716 of Ithaca, NY. He now frequents Gate City Lodge No. 2 where he lives in Atlanta, GA.
Michael conceptualized CROWN OF SERPENTS in July 2004 based on a simple question: if the two largest Finger Lakes of Seneca and Cayuga were really connected by a subterranean river, as local legend had speculated, then who would know of its underground location? The answer resided with the Iroquois Indians who had populated the area for centuries. Through in-depth research into ancient Iroquois myth, based on Atotarho’s hair of snakes, the basis of the plot, the setting, and the hunt for the secret relic were soon developed. However, once Michael joined the Freemasons in 2005 and after delving into the fraternity’s history, he stumbled upon an infamous Revolutionary War ambush between enemy Masons that occurred in the same Finger Lakes area. This true battlefield incident resulted in a rare test of Freemasonry’s most sacred tenet. It also propelled the storyline into an incredible twist of historical fate that took on present day ramifications for the main character.
