Zinnia

This is a "paranormal futuristic romance"... The name is quite long but explains well what this novel is about. It can be read as a sequel to "Amaryllis" or on its own. It takes place in the Earth colony of St. Helens, were people are divided between those with psychic powers (talents) and those who can help them to focus those powers, thus increasing them (prisms). The main characters in this book are Nick Chastain, a powerful matrix talent and casino owner, and Zinnia Spring, a full spectrum prism. They meet because Zinnia thinks Nick kidnapped one of her clients,a stormy beginning for an exciting relationship. What follows is a mad chase for a missing journal, and a developing love story that keeps you enthralled...I really loved this book, and consider it to be a real keeper !!!. I only regret it wasn't longer... If you have at least some imagination (a necessary ingredient in this kind of book, read it now: you won't regret doing so!!!

They recently repacked Amaryllis and Zinnia into a single volume called Harmony, so I got these out and decided to reread them. And found I enjoyed them more the second time around. Maybe this stems from the past few Jayne Anne Krentz/ Amanda Quick books not living up to the standard of her talent, making these shine even more. These St. Helen's books, set on Harmony a plant where Earth traveler colonized are Jayne Anne writing as Jayne Castle, and writing at the very top of her form. Originally, her fans had mixed reviews over these books. This was before Paranormal Romance hit big in the sales. Now they are getting a much-deserved second look. Amaryllis, Zinnia and Orchid are the trio of tales set in this Futuristic world, with After Dark and After Glow continuing the sagas. Zinnia Spring (don't you love JAK's names?) was called the Scarlet Lady by the press. She was mistakenly caught in the middle of a tacky tabloid triangle scandal. An interior decorator, she decides to take lemons and make lemonade. Instead of trying to shout her innocence or trying to hide, she plays the reputation for all its worth, creating a real Lady in Red. She dresses red, she drives red. When sexy Nick Chastain, owner of a Casino, hires her things really heat up for both. Nick and Zinnia, like all the off-worlders, have a little something extra to their make up. In the Earth Colony of St. Helens on Harmony, people evolved with two supernatural talents: they were either a prism or a psychic. The prisms serve to increase the power of the psychics by channeling their powers through them, amplifying it and keeping it stable. Even the strongest of psychics needs a prism, for without them they cannot control and maintain their powers for long periods. Though he has hired Zinnia for her decorating ability, he needs something more from her. He wants his respectability. He is an off the chart top psychic, but he needs the perfectly matched prism - and that is Zinnia. Nick's father was Bartholomew Chastain, a member of the elite of St. Helens, and a respected explorer. However, Nick's father died, leaving the legitimacy of Nick's birth unclear. Nick maintains his father married his mother just before his last expedition, but the family disputes this. Nick craves finding his father's journal and proving he is his heir. He craves that respectability. As Zinnia falls in love with Nick, she views her Scarlet Lady as nothing more than a passing affair for Nick. How can a man, who desires respectability above all else, want the Scarlet Lady for his wife? This is ONE super read for Jayne Anne Krentz Fan. Don't miss the first in the series Amaryllis and then Orchid. Jayne Anne, whatever name she is using, is at the peak of her prose with this book. I compliment her deft use of Multi-POV (Point of View) so missing from many of today's new writers. It makes the story richer and gives you a full sense of the story and characters instead of limits the writ

This was the Favorite one in this futristic trillogy. The chemisrty between Nick and Zinnia never fades...from when they meet and are thrown together to solve the murder/mystery, the passion is always there. Along with passion, there's scandal, as well as action better than the other books in the set. If you don't buy all three-or even if you are planning to, but this one first! (even though this is the second in the set.)

In this second book of the series, Ms. Castle (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) introduces us to Zinnia Spring and Nick Chastain on earth colony St. Helen's. Here we learn about another Prism/Talent pair that track down the missing journal of a doomed exploration, lead by Nick's late father. Sparks between Zinnia and Nick burn bright when they join in their "link" and as their romance grows. The reader also will enjoy revisiting friends and places from the previous story.If you're a fan of futuristic romance with a psychic twist, this book is for you! I've enjoyed all three books so far (the first: Amaryllis, the second: Zinnia, and the third: Orchid), and am looking forward to more!

On the planet of St. Helens, a group of earth colonists cut offfrom their home planet, has fashioned a society that is unlikeanything that exists on Earth today. The planet itself changed the colonists in some inexplicable fashion. It has brought out the psychic talents in some of the people, but that power cannot be used without a matrix to focus that ability. Agencies spring up that match a registered matrix to a psychic so that they can work as a team without being burned out. Rarely does a prism and a psychic team up without proper sanctioning. ..... The latter is the case with Zinnia, a registered prism, and Nick, an unregistered psychic. They meet when Zinnia is hunting down her missing client who she thinks Nick has snatched. When she realizes that he knows nothing about the disappearance, they form a partnership to learn what happened to the missing person and to recover the journal that once belonged to Nick's father. He hopes that the diary will give him answers to the three decades old mystery of who murdered his parents. Someone wants to keep the pair from learning the truth. This diabolically clever individual will resort to murder to insure that certain secrets remain buried. It seems doubtful that Zinnia and Nick, in love and working as a team, can surmount the forces that conspire to permanently remove them from the picture. ...... Jayne Castle (AKA Jayne Anne Krentz) has written another potent futuristic romance, filled with her trademark charm, humor, and delightfully eccentric characters. Like the prequel, AMARYLLIS, ZINNIA has a delectable mystery at its core that is so entertaining that it could sell as a superb who-done-it. This is necessary read for fans of the talented author, futuristic romance lovers, and amateur detective novels. .... Harriet Klausner