The Gaslighting Survival Kit

"Well, this is it. Caesar had his Rubicon. What do Bible college presidents have? A Rubik's Cube?"

Tom Collins, mild-mannered president of a dwindling southern Bible college, becomes a target when a drunk prankster swaps his campus's American flag with the Christian one, and Dr. Tom refuses to "fix" the situation. Big media, exuberant students, petty enemies, and pretty secretaries all play a part in this happy-go-lucky satire for the twenty-first century.

Readers of PG Wodehouse's Leave It to Psmith and Christopher Buckley's Thank You for Smoking will appreciate this lighthearted new satirical novel from Douglas Wilson, author of the award-winning Evangellyfish (Best Fiction of 2013, Christianity Today).

"Rourke spun around and stomped out the door. Bradford followed him out. "Don't you agree? We really need to do our part to reduce this epidemic of illicit banging in the evangelical world."

Chad Lester's kingdom is found in the Midwest. His voice crawls over the airwaves, his books are read by millions (before he reads them), and thousands ride the escalators into the sanctuary every Sunday. And Saturday. And Wednesday, too. He is the head pastor of Camel Creek—a CEO of Soul. And souls come cheap, so he has no overhead.

When Lester is (falsely) accused of molesting a young male counselee, his universe begins to crumble. He is a sexual predator, yes. But strictly straight (and deeply offended that anyone would suggest otherwise). Detectives, reporters, assistant pastors, and old lovers and pay-offs all come out to play.

John Mitchell is also a pastor, but he has no kingdom to speak of—only smalltime choir feuds. He is thrilled at the great man's fall, but his joy quickly fades when the imploding Lester calls him—and a lover or two—for help. How low can grace go? Whores, thieves, and junkies, sure. But pastors?

It's election season—America's most lucrative sport—and there are no rules.

When climate scientist Dr. Helen Gardner accidentally reads an email from the International Task Force on Climate Change which proves that global warming is a lucrative scam, she's shocked and horrified.

But that's nothing compared to how she feels the next day when her boss (the head of the Task Force) tries to have her killed.

Helen goes into hiding with the help of her neighbor, a "fundy" Bible college professor named Cody, and an anti-eco-activist lumberjack-writer.

But Helen's scandal isn't the only headline floating to the surface: the Democrat presidential candidate gets career-changing news; his running mate hits rock bottom after years of infidelity; the current Republican VP's past sins won't stay hidden forever.

And Cody is about to uncover some dirt of his own.