Good morning, Readers!

It isn’t often that I host an author of sci-fi, but this morning is that rare occasion.
Today, I have Mike Bogue, author of A Perfect Flock, to join us for a chat. So, grab your favorite warm morning beverage and snuggle up.

Welcome to The Back Porch, Mike. It is a pleasure to have you here.

Tell us a bit about your book, A Perfect Flock.

I am not a sci-fi enthusiast, so explain to me what was the initial spark or idea that inspired this book?

I got the idea for the novel when I considered reversing the theme of 1956’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In the movie, extraterrestrial seeds turn humans into Pod People who lose all emotion and possess only the instinct to survive. But I thought, “what would it be like if instead, people’s compassion was amplified and their instinct to survive vanished?” Hence, the seed of my tale of seemingly perfect Christians who are actually anything but.

In addition, I think some Christians might find the notion of no longer needing to struggle with their faith a welcome relief. What if a technological process could force your brain to make the right moral decisions according to Scripture? You would lose your free will, but your actions would become more moral—at least, superficially.

Sounds like something many might not have an issue with while others would hate it.

What research did you conduct, if any, while writing this book? How did it influence the story or characters?

I researched a number of topics, the biggest being nanotechnology. Some speculation has suggested nanotechnology may be a danger to human beings, particularly our brains, if an outside agent could change that brain chemistry via nanobots.

But I considered—what if you gave your permission for nanobots to radically change your brain chemistry, for them to turn you into a supposedly sanctified believer? Cults are seductive, and I think a cult promising this outcome could sucker many unwitting adherents, especially if it were headed by Brother Moody, my novel’s charismatic cult leader.

Tuck Jameson, the protagonist, becomes disturbed when he realizes what The Body is up to. Much of his horror is that the technology appears to actually work, and may eventually spread across the country. Thus, his struggle to save his brother from perhaps irreversible transformation intensifies. This same struggle influences his best friend Ham to join forces with Tuck against Brother Moody.

Sounds like an organization posing as something righteous to cover something more sinister.

What message, if any, do you hope your book conveys to readers?

That as long as we are living on planet earth, we will struggle. This is as true for Christians as for non-Christians. Romans 7 depicts the believer’s inner struggle regarding morality, and we will always face temptation during our earthly life.

But I hope my book conveys the struggle is worth it—indeed, not only worth it, but noble. Scripture makes it clear God wants us to have free will. He has no patience with so-called Christians who coerce others to believe. But with newer technologies at their disposal, authoritarian Christians may force a framework of Christianity onto an unbeliever’s mind. That would be a sin of a radical nature. It sounds fantastic, but it’s not necessarily impossible.

I would some have tried without technology. Thankfully, we know who wins in the end.

I have many readers who dream of becoming published. What advice would you give to aspiring writers who are just starting out?

Definitely take advantage of the wealth of online writing resources out there. Two excellent examples are the blogs of Jerry Jenkins and K.M. Weiland.

If possible, join a Christian writer’s guild.

Attend online writing courses and workshops.

Attend writing conferences.

Also, I would encourage novice writers to get on the wait list for Jerry Jenkins’ Your Novel Blueprint online course. It’s an excellent resource that informs the writer of all that professional editors look for in a novel, a literal step-by-step approach. Without this resource, I am convinced my novel A Perfect Flock would not have been professional enough to sell to a traditional publisher.

Great advice!

Can you share any details about your upcoming projects or works-in-progress?

Yes. My current novel-in-progress is called Eden Colony. The premise:

After a nuclear war, Caleb Anderson discovers he and certain fellow Christian survivors are immune to radiation. They struggle to rebuild a benevolent post-nuke society, but a clandestine government group schemes to use them to establish a dictatorship. If Caleb doesn’t stop them, thousands of war survivors will die.

That sounds intriguing. I pray your writing flows well. I also hope this tour blesses you and this book.

Thank you, again, for joining us this morning.

Readers, please continue reading more about A Perfect Flock and Mike’s thoughts on the story. Then, when you are done, please be sure to leave a comment and enter the giveaway.

About the Book

Book: A Perfect Flock

Author: Mike Bogue

Genre: Christian Science Fiction

Release date: October 26, 2023

Tuck Jameson vows to stop his brother Clay from joining The Body, a religious cult that uses nanotechnology to turn its members into Christian automatons.

But Clay disappears—and in three days, his nanotechnology conversion will be complete. Desperate to find Clay, Tuck enlists the aid of former high school mentor Adam Shimura, now a black ops agent with potentially mixed motives.

Brother Moody, the cult’s Chief Elder, mobilizes his acolytes against Tuck. Worse, a shocking prophecy ups the ante, making Tuck realize the stakes involve not only him and Clay, but all of America—and perhaps, the world.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Why does Mike Boguewrite speculative fiction? Because he finds it a perfect genre to explore timeless themes and timely science, as well as the collision between technology and faith. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys watching Godzilla movies, singing 1960s pop tunes, and munching Fiber One brownies. Single and retired, Mike lives with his cat Bendi in Western Arkansas, where he and Bendi regularly hold contests to see who can nap the longest in a single day.

More from Mike

“If brainwashing means losing my free will for God’s sake, so be it.”

Thus says a recruit for the religious cult The Body in my novel A Perfect Flock.

When planning the novel, I wondered—should Christians use technology to enhance their moral lives? What if technology forced us to be good? Should we use it? Should we advocate it? Would it make Christians, and therefore the Gospel, more appealing to non-Christians?

A Perfect Flock explores these issues. In the novel, technology that might have been a blessing becomes a curse in the hands of cult leader Brother Moody. Indeed, becoming Moody’s version of a perfect Christian might just cost you your soul.

In A Perfect Flock, you will confront the well-meaning but dark future into which technology may be taking Christians and society; experience a fast-paced quest in which an older brother is determined to save his younger brother from technological enslavement; and face the tension between free will and enforced will—if we had the technology to force others to become Christians, should we?

If you like near-future Christian science fiction novels such as Steven James’ Synapse, I think you’ll enjoy A Perfect Flock.

A technical note: The book was released last October 23, so it is available now.

Best of hopes and dreams,

Mike