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Tiberius Goes to Rome

by Peter Kay

267 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-0027; ISBN 1-4120-2103-0; US$19.99, C$22.45, EUR16.50, £11.35

Travel to ancient Rome and join Tiberius Caesar as he battles through the hormone-charged, rebellious and utterly confusing period that is the teenage years in, "Tiberius Goes to Rome".

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about the book about the author sample excerpts catalogue info

About the Book Tiberius Goes to Rome is a book about a boy growing up in Roman times, and the many problems he encounters during his teenage years. Many teenagers reading this will quickly begin to realise just how similar the problems facing a teenage boy in ancient times are to those facing teenagers today. Adults also will be able to relate to the main character, Tiberius A. Caesar, as they remeber just what it was like for them when they experienced the same hormone-charged, rebelious and utterly confusing period that is the teenage years.

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About the Author

Peter Kay, 19 years old, grew up in Nottinghamshire and has always wanted to publish a book. He is currently studying for a Finance degree at Stirling University in Scotland.

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Sample Excerpts or Table of Contents

A month went by and I never went round to see Christa even once in that time. I didn't think I could bear it. She probably hated me now anyway for trying to kiss her. Girls got all annoyed when they thought you were a friend and then tried to come onto them. I read that somewhere I think.

Instead I busied myself settling in to my new room, or 'making a mess of it' as my mum said, shaking her head every time she came in. Parents never seem to understand that kids actually like their bedrooms messy. It provides an atmosphere that we can relax in. Having everything tidy and put away, and the floor all clean just freaks us out.

Whenever I go into their room for something I always shake my head and wonder how anyone could live in a room as clean as this. So why did they always tell us to tidy our rooms? Having an untidy room is a child's right. It can take ages to mess up a room to a satisfactory standard. It's almost a form of artwork really.

I also started my new school during this period. It was much bigger than my old one. I don't think I'll ever find my way around it, not completely anyway. Still, I've only got a couple of years to go at school before I have to leave. I'd never really expected this time to ever come around, where I finally had to go out in the big bad world and figure out what I was actually going to do for a living. Wait, I already know what I want to do. I want to be an actor, performing in all the glamorous theatres in the Empire, becoming world famous, and getting a lot of attention from all the nice girls.

My first day was quite nerve-wracking, but I think it went ok on the whole. In the morning I had to stand at the front while the teacher introduced me to the class. As soon as she said my name the arm of just about every kid in the room shot up into the air. 'Are you...' one kid began.

'No I'm not related to any famous people in history' I said wearily.

All the hands went down and everyone seemed kind of disappointed.

By lunchtime I felt really upset and was missing all my friends at my old school, and Maria. I remember sitting down on the grass under a large shady tree and wondering what they were all up to. Fortunately though a boy from my class came over, and we got chatting. His name was Toby, and he was quite small with short dark hair and had a habit of staring open mouthed at things occasionally, but he was harmless and he was a good listener. We talked about many things, such as my old school, the girls there, the girls here, where my new house was and how well we were settling in, the girls who lived round about me, the weather, the most popular places to hang out at the weekends and where you had the most chance of seeing the girls...I noticed for the first time that teenage boys talk a lot about girls. I mentioned this to Toby and he laughed a strange laugh which sounded remarkably like a duck. I thought back to my experience with the angry ducks at the lake and I told him all about that, and all about Christa which I'd curiously managed to avoid somehow in all our previous talk about girls, and he laughed even more and his laugh set me off and soon we were chuckling away like the best of pals...which I suppose we were, for I didn't have any other friends in the world now.

'You have to introduce me to this Christa girl' he said keenly.

'Ha! You'll be lucky. She probably never wants to see me again. In fact, she'd probably chase me with a rolling pin' I said, sighing heavily.

'So? That's good!' he exclaimed. 'Then the way'll be clear for me to have a try with her!'

I had to admire his optimism. He wasn't the best looking of fellows, or the brightest penny in the fountain, but he had that innocuous and friendly charm that most girls seem to go for. He was the kind of guy they could all get motherly and protective of, making sure he didn't get his heart broken by another female. Now I understand why all the girls were sitting around him in class earlier on.

'Believe me, I'm never going to go round there again' I told him.

This seemed a rather definite statement but it turned out to be a complete load of rubbish for that very afternoon after school I found myself stood at Christa's front door with Toby eagerly grinning and combing his hair back with his fingers.

'How did you manage to talk me into this again?'

'You didn't take much persuading. You must like her real bad' he said grinning.

'Yeah, well...' I admitted.

'So knock on the door then' he urged.

I reached up to the knocker, then put my hand down again.

'I can't' I said, wimping out.

'Oh. I see' he said. 'I understand' and with that he reached up and knocked loudly on the door three times. He stood back and winked at me mischievously.

There was a shuffling sound as someone came to the door. Then the familiar clanking sound of a metal bolt being drawn back, and slowly the large wooden door creaked open. It was Christa this time who opened it. I looked at Toby out of the corner of my eye. His mouth was open so wide his chin was nearly on the floor.

'Hey' she said, a little less friendly than she used to greet me, or at least that's how it sounded to me anyway.

'Straw' I replied trying to make her laugh. I had missed that little laugh so much this past month.

But it didn't work.

'What? Oh, um, yeah, good one' she said flatly.

I stood there, still unable to look her in the eye. Instead I looked across at Toby. He hadn't moved, his mouth still wide open, staring at Christa.

'Are you ok?' she said to him eventually.

He snapped out of his trance. 'Huh? What? Oh, er, sorry. Yes. Nice to meet you' he said holding out his hand.

Christa shook it, and tried to let go but he seemed to be reluctant to release the hand of such an amazing older girl. I nudged him in the side and he gave Christa her hand back.

So much for him being a ladies man! He's turned to jelly at the first sight of a beautiful girl.

'So, what can I do for you?' she asked eventually.

Oh heck, what were we doing here?! I didn't know what to say.

'Er, well...' I began, trying desperately to think of something but drawing a blank. I've never been that good at thinking under pressure.'

'Yes...?' She sounded slightly annoyed now.

'We were wondering if you'd like to come with us to the lake' Toby piped up.

I gave him a sharp look. I could've kicked him!

'Thanks, that's sweet, but I've got a lot of washing to do. Maybe another time though, yeah?'

'Oh ok' Toby said. 'We were just on our way down there and we wondered if you'd like to come, but if you're busy we understand. A beautiful girl like you must have plenty to do I would imagine.'

She gave an almost nervous laugh, and then waited for one of us to speak, which neither of us did.

'Ok then. Well, if that's all...' she began. She looked at me, and I looked at her. At last our eyes had met, and we stood gazing at each other. She was waiting for me to say something, anything, but I couldn't. I had lost my voice completely, lost in her lovely deep blue eyes.

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Catalogue Information

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