Michael Patriate thinks he has it all. Fate decides to teach him a lesson. Welcome to the 15th Century.

In his single-minded drive to succeed, businessman Michael Patriate allowed Sheila, the woman he loved, to slip away. And when his picture on the cover of High Finance Magazine validates the years of sacrifice, a midnight attack on a Manhattan street interrupts his celebration. Dumped alone into a backward country that is—impossibly—Renaissance Italy, he starts over in provincial Caorle with ambition and business experience his only resources.

Michael fights his way back to the top and takes on the ruthless merchants in neighboring Venice, while he falls in love with Cecile, a young widow. But he catches the attention of a rich merchant and the Doge of Venice, who each want his business savvy and knowledge of advanced technology. Will he act to make himself rich at the cost of disrupting society? Can he change history? Will he turn his back on friends and on Cecile?

How would you make your way if thrust into an impossible situation where all you possess, down to the culture and technology that define your world, is stripped away? What choices would you make? How far would you go? In this historical novel with a time-travel twist, The King of Silk tells the story of one man's journey.

Available in e-book from MuseItUp Publishing.

Print and e-book versions at other outlets:

Amazon.com (Kindle)

Barnes and Noble (Nook)

Sony Reader Store

Smashwords

Reviews

“THE KING OF SILK is a thriller with a sharp intelligence that blends history, mystery and romance adeptly. Joe Douglas Trent is a new voice in fiction to watch.”

--DeWanna Pace
GIVE ME A TEXAS OUTLAW
July, 2011

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Historical Novel Review

"The King of Silk is a fascinating story about a man armed with modern knowledge who is forced to explore the world centuries ago. Michael is a congenial hero thrust into an impossible situation. As the reader progresses through the novel, they are swept into the dangers and realities of a treacherous world. The book is well written and edited. The prose is clear and the story is easy to follow. Numerous colourful characters that Michael meets as he journeys to Venice and later Portugal, keep the reader engrossed in the story, turning pages to find out what happens next."

Read the entire review at Historical Novel Review.

Free Reads!

What happened after THE END?

Many characters and events are fictionalized versions of real people and historical events. Download An Epilogue to The King of Silk in one of three versions: PDF, Epub (Sony), Mobi (Kindle).

What did we miss?

Michael had a few adventures not recorded in the book. See what happens when he and his favorite girl take a holiday in The Country Picnic.

Video Trailer

The trailer contains work from many sources. See the credits below.