Book Shout-Out: THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW TOMORROW by Jennifer M. Eaton

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The First Day of the New Tomorrow

Maya dreams of perfect skin, beautiful hair, good grades, and Eric Brighton — the boy she’s been crushing on since elementary school. But no matter how hard she tries, these things elude her.

Until now.

In the space of a day, her acne clears, her hair thickens, and Eric finally takes notice. As everything she wishes comes true, happiness is finally in reach — until a man posing as a college recruiter informs her that her newfound abilities come with a price. She will be expected to use them to stop a catastrophe.

Frightened of playing superhero, but thrilled that everything she desires becomes reality, Maya tests the limits of her power — until someone gets hurt.

Now terrified of her own thoughts, Maya will need to choose between having everything she wants, or returning to normalcy.  With Eric’s heart and the fate of her town resting on her decision, Maya makes the hardest choice of her life.

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Excerpt
“I have a bad feeling you don’t want to talk about college.”

His lips straightened to a thin line. “No. I’ve never even been to college

myself.”

Maya’s unease became a bat and struck her into panic mode. She jumped up from the chair, her heart racing. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Edgar shrugged. “I’m your guide, Maya. Your mentor, so to speak.”

“Mentor for what?”

“We have a lot to talk about. Would you please sit?”

She backed up until her rear slammed against the door. She fumbled for the handle and pulled it open. A rush of hot air hit her as she turned to the sting of hundreds of tiny pebbles thrashing her face. Maya raised her hands to protect her eyes and peered through her fingertips into the blinding rays of a low-hanging sun.

The cascading sunbeams warmed her cheeks and illuminated the outline of a figure that looked a lot like the Sphinx in Egypt. She gasped and choked on air riddled with blowing sand.

Edgar laughed behind her. “Let me guess. You were thinking that you’d rather be anywhere but here, and somewhere deep in the back of your mind, you always wanted to see the Great Pyramids.”

He appeared beside her, and she allowed him to close the door. Sweat poured from Maya’s brow as the room instantly cooled.

“Do you want to be back at school?”

She nodded, terror constricting her from any other movement.

Edgar turned the handle and pushed. The secretary looked up from her computer, narrowing her eyes. He smiled, waved, and closed the door again.

Numbness crept from Maya’s toes and up her legs. Had she gone mad?

Stumbling, she allowed him to guide her back to her chair.

Edgar eased her down. “Are you ready to talk to me now?”

She shook away her fright. “How’d you do that?”

“I didn’t do anything. You did.”

“Me? That’s crazy.”

“Not really. Any of our kind can move from place to place. Anywhere we can imagine.”

“Our kind?”

He reached across the desk and grabbed a pitcher of water that Maya didn’t remember seeing a moment ago. Goosebumps riddled her skin as he poured a glass and handed it to her. She reached for the cup, wishing it was something more soothing like cocoa with marshmallows, and jumped when her hand grasped a hot mug. The porcelain slipped through her fingers, and the drink spilled across the papers on the Vice Principal’s desk.

“Holy crap! Seston’s gonna have a fit!”

Edgar grabbed her hands. “Calm down, Maya.” A rushing wave of serenity

rolled over her. He raised his left brow. “Better?”

She nodded, and her gaze dropped to the neat stacks of clean, dry papers on the desk—and a full mug of hot cocoa set directly in front of her seat.

“What the frig is going on?”

Her desire to freak out struggled against the calm creeping through her body.

Edgar’s gaze locked on her, consumed her. She fought against the presence invading her mind until his strength overwhelmed her. Her resolve snapped, and against her better judgment, she allowed the tenseness to ease from her muscles.

Edgar smiled. “Enjoy that little splash of relaxation. It’s probably the last time I’ll be able to do that for you.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on?”

“I’ll try to explain as it was explained to me. You are adopted, are you not?”

Maya shifted in her chair. Her hands grew cold. “Yes.”

“We all were. Atrusians, for the most part, don’t raise their own young. Too

many complications.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You are special, Maya. You have gifts no other child here has. You can make pretty much anything happen, just by wanting it.”

Her stomach plummeted. That morning, she’d wished she didn’t have to wear glasses, and her eyes instantly focused. She wanted eggs, and they suddenly appeared.

It had to be coincidence. Stuff like that just wasn’t possible. “You’re crazy.”

“Am I?”

A bird cawed over her head, and Maya jumped from her seat. Water rose and fell gently around her and all the way to the horizon on every side. She, Edgar, the desk, and two chairs stood alone amongst the rolling waves of the ocean.

She snapped her jaw shut and turned to him. “I didn’t do this. I wasn’t thinking about the water!”

“No. This one I did. I’ve always enjoyed the sounds of the ocean.”

“Well, I don’t. Take me back!”

He smiled. “If you want to go home, just desire it strongly.”

Maya grit her teeth. She could feel Edgar wiggling his fingers inside her brain, pulling against her need to negate everything he said—forcing her to feel confident, to understand. Her disbelief washed away as she closed her eyes.

The gentle sounds of the lapping water disappeared, and she found herself back in the Vice Principal’s office. Maya’s inner fear once again struggled with Edgar’s calm until he overpowered her once more, and serenity and understanding wiped away her unease.

Maya’s eyes fixed on a stain mottling the carpet at her feet. She wished it gone, and it slowly faded away. The rational side of her brain laughed, still unable to process what she’d seen.
About the Author

Jennifer M. Eaton

Jennifer M. Eaton is a contemporary blender of Science Fiction, Dystopian, and Romance.  Her work ranges from the sweet contemporary romances of Paper Wishes, to the dystopian society of Last Winter Red and Optimal Red, with a dusting of young adult paranormal just for fun in The First Day of the New Tomorrow.

While not off visiting other worlds, Jennifer calls the East Coast of the USA home, where she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband, three energetic boys, and a pepped up poodle.

Full time team leader, full time mom, and full time novelist… what more can you ask for?  Writing help did you say?  Well, sure!  Jennifer hosts an informational blog aimed at helping all writers be the best they can be. Stop on by and chat. She loves to hear from fans!

Contact: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Source: J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer