Light Bringer

by Pat Bertram

Becka Johnson had been abandoned on the doorstep of a remote cabin in Chalcedony, Colorado when she was a baby. Now, thirty-seven years later, she has returned to Chalcedony to discover her identity, but she only finds more questions. Who has been looking for her all those years? Why are those same people interested in fellow newcomer Philip Hansen? Who is Philip, and why does her body sing in harmony with his? And what do either of them have to do with a shadow corporation that once operated a secret underground installation in the area?"Brilliant!" —Suzanne Francis, author of the Song of the Arkafina series "Pat Bertram has a marvelous ability to write the longest parables in all of literature. She unglues the world as it is perceived and rebuilds it in a wiser and more beautiful way." —Lazarus Barnhill, author of The Medicine People and Lacey Took a Holiday Light Bringer is TYPICAL plots within plots, multiple characters with multiple agendas, fast moving, more than enough mystery and intrigue for everyone, satisfying conclusion. Great book! —Malcolm Campbell, author of Sun Singer and Jock Stewart and the Missing Sea of Fire"Light Bringer is one of the most unique novels I have had the pleasure to read in a long time. Ms. Bertram’s fascinating characters and original subplots make this a page-turner I simply could not put down." —Deborah J Ledford, author of Staccato and Snare

Genres: Science Fiction Fantasy

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2011

About the author

Pat Bertram is the author of the suspense novels MADAME ZEEZEE'S NIGHTMARE, UNFINISHED, LIGHT BRINGER, DAUGHTER AM I, MORE DEATHS THAN ONE, and A SPARK OF HEAVENLY FIRE. Bertram is also the author of GRIEF: THE GREAT YEARNING, “an exquisite book, wrenching to read, and at the same time full of profound truths.”

Reviews

[Tracy Fabre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is color and sound and more color, described as it's never been described before. Part sci-fi, part small town life, part intrigue, part romance, part rainbow explosion, this is a tale of two people who are not like other people yet end up in a little out-of-the-way community where a lot of strange things have happened and continue to happen. It’s a multi-layered story she should be very proud of, and incidentally will make you crave muffins. Consider yourself warned.

[J.P. Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't do reviews, but have to say I found this book wonderful. Enjoyed every page. A must-read for anyone who likes science fiction, though to label it as science fiction is a bit of a simplification. It's also got all the elements of a good mystery.

[Sia McKye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just started it. Lots intriguing puzzles and good characters...I'm really enjoying it. More later...

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prologue to My Review A Unique Introduction: Welcome to the small town in the Colorado Mountains called Chalcedony. Enter at your own risk. Things happen here that will change your entire perspective on life, reality and the outer worlds hidden in our solar system. This town has some very interesting people that you will throughout this novel, my review and get to know. Some will be honest and open others deceitful, cunning, naïve and dangerous. Helen Jenks came home to find a young child on her doorstep. This started the chain of events that would span decades and create a story and plot by author Pat Bertram that will send chills down your spine, make you question what you see or might not see in front of you and who and what is controlling your movements, actions, fears and emotions. This town is filled with people who will make you laugh like the old folks that gather to eat oatmeal, play Chinese checkers and discuss world events, money, the economy and life in general. Some came to this town to escape their past and are running from their present. One young woman came here only to find supernatural forces and possibly even spirits living in her new house. Even more intriguing is one young man who claims to have some inner force that drags him inside his car and what happens as a result well you will learn soon enough. Welcome to Chalcedony. Somewhere hidden is a secret about to be revealed. Somewhere there is darkness and soon there will be light. Light Bringer by Pat Bertram: Wait until you find out what this means and more. Welcome to my Review of this outstanding, spelling binding novel from this multi-talented author. Now that I hope I enticed you with my prologue to what is about to come: Enter the town of course at your own risk. But, don’t be afraid to read the review. Did I tell you: Sometimes people disappear in this town and cannot be found.





















Fran Lewis: Here is my review


Sometimes things happen and they cannot be explained nor does it really matter. Helen Jenks arrives home from work and finds a young child left unattended on her doorstep. Nothing really remarkable or unusual about that because it can and has happened to others as you often hear in the news. But, what makes this child unique will seriously astound and frighten the reader from the start. Should Helen decide to keep this abandoned child or should she make more of a concerted effort to learn her true identity, where she came from or just calls the sheriff? She does the unexpected. She keeps her. Takes care of this precious child and finds out that she has it within herself to care for this small and uniquely gifted child even though she never really wanted children before. As she grow closer to her she learns her name is Rena when asked what to call her and she is no doubt quick to pick up language, increase her vocabulary and endear herself into Helen’s heart. But, what happens next will shock the reader as author Pat Bertram envelops the reader in this outstanding novel Light Bringer.

What if I told you that this child knew where she wanted to be left from the start? What if I told you that she found Helen Jenks and knew that was where she wanted to stay and be cared? What if I told you that a spirit was watching over them and forced them to have to relocate before something tragic happened to them both? What is I told you that this child was super bright, had a very high intelligence level from the start, was able to communicate her thoughts, not speak at first but yet would change Helen’s life. But, one bright and sunny morning something happened that would bind them together. Helen heard someone singing. The song was sad, spoke of loss and maybe even a love that was to be found. The child still did not speak words yet as I stated before related that she wanted to be called Rena.

Fast-forward many years later when this child is no longer a baby but an adult who calls herself Beck Johnson. Coming back to where it all started she decides to rent a house that many think is haunted. Helen is gone and no longer alive. What if I told you that somewhere within this town that she comes to live in is a special secret garden where flowers grow with such magnificent colors that shine so brightly? What would you think? What if these colors make all others pale in comparison?

There is so much more as we now meet a young man named Phillip who is around Rena’s age and who finds himself facing two men claiming to be National Security Agents. Not knowing why they are there he tries to talk himself out of whatever they think he is into by saying they must be concerned with the kind of books he is taking out of the library. Not a very solid argument but what he does next is even more frightening as he lifts his hands, sprays some lemon juice and feels a spirit envelop him and then what happens you just won’t believe. Telling them he would show them what they think they are looking for he does. Philip is then shoved out of his apartment and into the passenger of his car, which seems to be controlling the events that were to follow as he winds up in Chalcedony hoping to find acceptance and a place to stay.

Just how he winds up in this car with an invisible driver has not been explained. Coming to town to stay with an old friend who owns a bookstore Phillip hopes to escape the agents that seem to be chasing him. Seeing Becka he feels an instant connection but each time things seem to be going forward something happens this unusual spirit within him takes over and he winds up almost in another dimension seeing things he’s not quite sure of and then finding himself back where he started again this time in his bed in his friend’s home.

UFO’s do you believe in them well some people do. In this quiet town someone says that they saw a UFO but no one takes the person seriously. Philip is staying with Emery Hill and needs to make an immediate exit from town when this undeniable force leads him back into his car and then back to Emery’s house. Thinking that something has to be related to the books he’s reading, Sumerian cosmology or that their might even be a tenth planet in our huge solar system strikes for an unusual balance in a really unique and well crafted plot. But, what if I told you they think there is life on this planet? Would you believe it?

Explaining to his friend Emery about the sources of the books he is reading he discusses books on UFO’s by George Keeler related to events that happened in the 70’s. But, strangely enough her younger sister appears in town looking for a job, goes to her house and finds it odd that not only isn’t George there but her car door is opened, her purse is on the seat with tons of money in it and her house is unattended. Added to that the books not only deal with UFO’s but people who disappeared from this quaint little town too. Finding that her sister was missing Jane becomes part of the strange occurrences that keep happening to the other characters. Where Philip seems drawn to his car and this invisible driver, Jane can’t seem to leave her sister’s home or town. Some things are meant to happen and some places you are meant to be. Why? That all remains to be seen as Jane finds herself living in her sister’s home needing a place to stay but still hoping to find George. But, the strangest and oddest things have yet to come and to be explained. What about those two men who claimed they were NSA agents? What is they show up and claim to be something else this time luring Jane into their trap? What if they say they are FBI and are looking for Philip who is not what he appears to be but has dealings with a known criminal.


Then Philip finds his way to Becka’s house, explains his past and his present and then something between them connects. Explaining her life, why she and her mother were constantly on the run, how they created names for themselves, and why he felt drawn to her, is only part of what is about to happen next. Philip stays with Becka and calls her Rena. Finding out about Urshu and this spirit drew then even closer as the author continues to weave the intricate and delicate fabric to create a pattern of events that would fill many squares of a handmade afghan or quilt.


Jane delves into her sister’s disappearance and what she learns is quite unbelievable, remarkable and definitely make her wonder what is really going on in this small town of eccentric and strange characters. Stellar Optics what were they, are they still around and what was behind their projects? Were they really trying to create a space telescope or did they have something to do with Flying Saucers and UFO’s? Why would her sister Georgy’s research for her next book cause them to look at her and possibly be linked to her disappearance? Who are these agents so to speak? Why are they there and why does Keith hear music or see prisms and colors at times? What is the link between Rena/Becka and Philip that keeps drawing them together?



Chester does not see colors but has learned to deal with this problem. His wife died but before he created a garden that would define colors for him, those that saw the flowers there and heard the special orchestra whose music filled the air. The instruments were of different colors and the sound incredible. But, things change when one woman named Teodora comes to this small town and the explanation of who and what is behind everything just might come to light. Philip, Becka and Jane are kidnapped and placed in small rooms or underground installation. Questioned about their pasts, books that Philip had read, symbols of the past and more they begin to link everything together. This book brings to light many theories about physics, astronomy, other planets in the solar system, mythology and science fiction. Luke Martin was concerned about Jane. Getting close to her and not finding her home alerted him that something was wrong. Would the sheriff bother to look for her? What exactly did they want with these victims and what specimens did they get rid of? What does this have to do with cell production or even with life and death.

Lies about what their real motive was, parents who were not who they seemed and many people who would never be the same when all is said and done. Just why did they kidnap Jane. What really happened to Georgy?


Each set of characters seems drawn into the light of different colors, rainbows and pictures. Each depicts their surroundings in their own way allowing the reader to know that somehow they will all come together at one time. What is the great Unknown that no one really understands or knows? What is really going on here and why are so many disappearing? Magic, greed, cover-ups, deceit, secrets, lies and a whole world filled with strange and unusual events. One man says the reason behind everything is weather control. Others feel that there is an underlying plot or reason that no one knows about. The colors are so vibrant when you look at them on the cover of this book. Just where does the light come from and where will these colors take you and how do you they you feel. Do you hear the music? I do! Pat Bertram has once again set the bar really high for mystery and science fiction writers.


Fran Lewis: Reviewer
This book gets: FIVE BRIGHT LIGHTS FILLED WITH RAINBOWS

[L.V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When strange things happen people go to Chalcedony. But what is so special about the little town?


Helen Jenks’ life changed with a drive home on a snowy night. That change came in the form of an infant girl, who she calls Rena, which she finds abandoned on her doorstep.

It becomes immediately apparent that Rena is not your usual kind of abandoned-on-the-doorstep baby. There is something special about the child. Helen soon finds herself living on the run with the child, but on the run from who or what?

And that is where her story ends and the real story begins.



Philip Hansen opens his door to unexpected guests, Agent’s Derrick and Hugh from the National Security Agency. Philip immediately suspects they are there to discuss the books he’s been checking out at the library. He sounds borderline crazy-guy conspiracy theorist, but Philip quickly shows himself to be no crazier than anyone else who thinks aliens are visiting Earth.

With a little help from an unlikely source, Philip escapes the two agents, who aren’t who they claim to be, and finds himself drawn involuntarily on a path not of his choosing.



Becka Johnson, baby Rena grown up and with a new name, returns to Chalcedony thirty-seven years after her adoptive mother found her.

Becka has decided it’s time to find the answers to her lifelong questions that center around “who am I?” And she believes those answers can be found in Chalcedony, Colorado where her life started on a snowy night on a stranger’s doorstep.



In a financial bind, Jane Keeler finds herself in Chalcedony searching for her sister George Keeler. Instead of finding her sister, she discovers an empty house, ransacked office, and abandoned car.

Georgy’s apparent wild ways make things difficult for Jane as she finds herself drawn by the need to investigate this mystery and learn her sister’s whereabouts. Only no one seems to believe her or to even care.


When the trio converges on Chalcedony with no knowledge of each other, things immediately take a turn for the strange.

Philip Hansen arrives to find himself thrust into the arms of Becka Johnson, literally, when he’s dropped off at her doorstep.

Things soon heat up for Philip and Becka when the strange things happening to each of them grow in intensity with their proximity, leading them forward on an adventure of discovery.

Jane is pulled into the strange events surrounding Philip and Becka, finding herself drawn into the midst of a bigger mystery than she’d anticipated.



In Light Bringer, Pat Bertram weaves a fascinating tale of a group of people connected by events in the past, beginning before they were even born, who are inexorably drawn together for the culmination of what was started so many decades before.

In drawing out the strange events linking these three, I also had the impression that the small town of Chalcedony, Colorado hides other secrets that could very well find themselves revealed in another tale entirely unrelated to this story.


Light Bringer is published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC.








Something apart from the story that you might find interesting is this excerpt from Light Bringer (Page 217).

There are three details in particular that will have a sense of familiarity if you have read Pat Bertram’s More Deaths than One.

Hugh & Keith in are in a conference room in the underground bunker going through files taken from George Keeler’s house

Excerpt:
Hugh lifted one transcript out of the file. “Here’s an interview she did with Bob Noone.”
“Who’s he?”
“You know. The weird guy.”
Keith laughed. “That narrows it down.”
“He’s the artist, the one you thought seemed like a chameleon.”
“Oh, him. His work sure mesmerized you. I could hardly drag you away.”
Hugh shuddered, remembering that a monstrous thing had seemed to lurk in the depths of the painting, pulling him in, captivating him in the archaic sense of the word: taking captive. He realized he’d been captivated in the same way by this place, the source of that dreadful hum. All at once he felt glad not to have found the source. Perhaps some secrets should remain unknown.
“What did he have to say?”
Hugh started at the sound of Keith’s voice. “He spouts the same rubbish as everyone else in that ridiculous town. Listen to this. ‘I didn’t move to Chalcedony until the late eighties, so I don’t know anything about the UFO flap, but if you want my opinion, it would have been a mind control experiment. Government is a beast without conscience, and when it teams with conglomerates, it can and will do anything. Even control us as if we were robots.’”

[Romancing the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed By~Robin
Review Copy Provided By~Author

I was confused right from the beginning and stayed that way to the very end. Some things did come to light, but for the most part this was out of my comfort zone. I gave it a chance as I kept reading and did finish, but I was left with many questions and maybe that was the whole reasoning behind Ms. Bertram’s story.

This story had me puzzled from the beginning when a baby shows up on the doorstep of a nurse. No footprints leading away from the house and only a few small ones that leads up to the house. This is not a normal baby as it sings and walks and talks rather fast. The nurse questions things at first but after a few days she just accepts this.

After this young baby reaches adulthood and loses the mother that raised her in hiding, she goes on a quest that brings her to a small town that seems to also be gathering others that are brought here for some reason or other.

Becka Johnson and Philip Hansen are both drawn to Chalcedony, Colorado. Not sure what their connection is to each other either. You also have a UFO hunter and her sister. While the hunter goes missing her sister is questioned by some agency to find out what she knows.

Weird things have been going on around this town since the 70’s and UFO sightings. Are they connected? I can’t divulge that information.

Outside of town there is a field of brightly colored flowers that sing and house some wonderful displays of light. They make you feel good. Colors play a big part in the story. The universe, hidden secrets, extra planets, invisible beings, theories, physics, astronomy, mythology; a town lost in time where people still sit around playing games such as Chinese checkers. A town that seems to be lost in darkness, yet it is drawn to the light.

I found that this book makes you take a long look at the things that you were taught in school and question what you were told to be facts. Are there other beings out there or for that matter actually living among us? Ms. Bertram makes you rethink and rethink again still leaving so many unanswered questions that we just may never be able to explain. A multi layered story with an underlying hint of romance. A story within a story.

Do you see the colors and lights? Do you hear the music? Maybe we have to go to another realm to find the answers.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you follow my reviews you probably know I really enjoy Pat Bertram’s novels. She has a knack of taking the most puzzling premise and building it into a well-structured, logical tale, with believable characters facing the most tortuous dilemmas. In Light Bringer she brings a strange group of individuals to the small town of Chalcedony, Colorado—Becka who was abandoned on a doorstep as a baby; Philip, on the run from the authorities; mysterious government agents; a UFO hunter’s sister; and the ubiquitous corporate destroyers of peaceful scenery. In town the locals discuss conspiracy theories with disturbing glee. And outside of town there’s a mysterious field of flowers filled with music and light.

Pat Bertram’s novel soars in her descriptions of mystery and scenery. The song of the rainbow flows through the characters, binding them together, while the silence of the great unknown drives them and pulls them apart.

The unknown, when finally revealed, is satisfyingly strange, though, unlike many of the characters, I maintain a healthy respect for the integrity of scientists and science. Romantic subplots are simultaneously lyrical and down-to-earth; dialog is natural and sometimes laugh-out-loud fun; secrets of history and astronomy are intriguing; and the whole is a fascinating read—a touch of old-fashioned sci-fi, blended with modern magic and corporate greed, shaken, stirred and conspired against, then woven into beautiful words.



Disclosure: I won a free ecopy of this book from the publisher, no strings attached.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

LIGHT BRINGER BY PAT BERTRAM.
Becka Johnson comes to Chaceldony Colorado to find her past, only to find a lot of mystery surrounding the town and her origins. Phillip Hanson is hiding out from two shady sorts who claim to be FBI. Jane Keeler is looking for her missing sister, who is researching a book. Throw in a mysterious cat and an invisible force guiding people along. Amongst them are a host of interesting theories about UFOs politics and banking. Bringing them all together is an organization with a huge secret and private agenda.
I highly recommend LIGHT BRINGER as it has all the elements of a great story; Mystery, action, conflict, humor and romance culminating in a happy cohesive ending. Ms. Bertram has woven all this together with likable characters as she does with all her books, making it a thoroughly enjoyable read. I give this story 5 flying saucers.

[Aaron Lazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm already a fan of Pat Bertram's books. I've read them all and loved them deeply. But LIGHT BRINGER was something completely new and surprising... surprising in its freshness, originality, its genre bending brilliance. Part thriller, part fantasy, part sci fi, part mystery...its plots were large and complex, encompassing themes that plague us every day; offering social and world commentary blended with weather trend observations (where ARE all those tornadoes and tsunamis coming from?) I do believe Bertram has defined a new genre, and it is a pure delight. Fresh. Original. Riveting. The characters are real and engaging. I particularly enjoyed the bit of romance between Luke and Jane - yes, another subplot. I couldn't put it down and extend my highest compliments to Ms. Bertram for her supremely smooth writing - there are no hiccups in this book.

Very highly recommended.