D.J. Ciccarello
Author & Novelist
New Release
Boys Like Daniel: A Journey of Desire and Reckoning
(2025)
Four years after running from a night that changed everything, Daniel is out, living freely in Atlanta—and deeply unsatisfied. He’s had the hookups, the nightlife, the liberation he once feared—but none of it feels right. Something’s missing.
Daniel unexpectedly spots Kevin—his old friend and first gay experience—living in the same city, the moment knocks the breath out of him. Kevin is still handsome, still magnetic, and very much in a relationship with Josh. What starts as a quiet search for closure unravels into something deeper and far more complicated. As old feelings resurface—seductive, painful, unfinished—Daniel is forced to confront a truth he’s long avoided. Is he chasing Kevin, or the version of himself he abandoned the night he ran?
Boys Like Daniel is a literary LGBTQ+ coming-of-age novel of longing, reckoning, and the emotional cost of rewriting the past. Perfect for fans of Call Me by Your Name, Lie with Me, and All the Things We Don’t Talk About, this sequel to Boys Like Kevin unfolds against the heat and hush of 1980s Atlanta—and explores the versions of ourselves we leave behind and the moments we never stop chasing.
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Praise & Reviews
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“A beautifully triumphant coming of age story.”
-ARC Review
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“The writing is extraordinary! From the very beginning, this story had me engaged and filled with anticipation! Fantastic read!”
-GoodReads US Review
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“Exceptional insight with an apparent natural proficiency in crafting a scene, a moment, an era that touches and delves into the depths of the reader’s memory of life experiences.”
-Amazon Review
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“From beginning to end, Ciccarello’s writing effortlessly carried me on the journey… His prose drew me in, and there were times when it was difficult to put the book down.”
-Val Francis, Author
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“I laughed, I reflected, and I cried more than once. I loved this book!”
-Amazon Reviewer
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“A powerful read.”
-BookSirens UK Review
Other Works
The Lucky Chip: A Psychological Thriller of Betrayal and Murder in The City of Sin
(2024)
When Jack Harper finds an old poker chip in his Las Vegas hotel room, he is confident his troubled past is behind him. The chip has a dark past of its own, however, deeply rooted in 1960s Vegas where greed, betrayal, and revenge were the best odds in the house, entangling Jack in a sinister history that threatens his very existence. The Lucky Chip is a gripping psychological thriller of betrayal and murder. Jack and Emily’s weekend trip is not the first time truth is gambled and relationships saved or ruined. Time often binds itself to objects, and fortune rarely favors the bold.
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Boys Like Kevin: A Coming of Age Novel
(2024)
Nineteen-year-old Kevin Summers returns to his hometown an unemployed college dropout, broke and nearly homeless. Hoping for a fresh start, he must come to terms with his mistakes before rebuilding his life. Beneath his carefully constructed facade lies a storm of guilt, longing, and self-doubt. As he reconnects with old friends and someone new, his past and present collide in powerful, unexpected ways. Grappled with betrayal and disillusionment, a chance encounter changes everything, leaving Kevin with a pivotal choice: continue living a lie or risk everything to embrace his true self.
Boys Like Kevin is perfect for fans of Call Me By Your Name, Lie With Me, and Giovanni’s Room. It’s a moving coming-of-age novel about desire, identity, and the quiet courage it takes to live with authenticity, even when it hurts.
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No Time for Duplicity: A Psychological Thriller
(2025)
The boundaries of reality blur when a young therapist becomes entangled with an attractive client from couples therapy. After he finds the client dead in his own home, the therapist must confront the obscured lines between desire and deception in a desperate attempt to regain control of his life.
No Time for Duplicity invites readers to explore the depths of psychological manipulation, identity fragility, and hidden desires’ dark consequences. This gripping psychological thriller will question the lines between illusion and reality we all draw for ourselves.
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About D.J. Ciccarello
D.J. Ciccarello is the author of the coming-of-age novel BOYS LIKE KEVIN and the psychological thrillers THE LUCKY CHIP and NO TIME FOR DUPLICITY. A husband and father living in the Southeastern US, he writes tales of conflict and change (spiced with secrets and second chances) across multiple genres. When not writing, he enjoys playing competitive tennis and traveling the globe in search of delicious cuisine.
Connect and follow D.J. Ciccarello on Facebook and Instagram at “djciccarello”.