Author’s appeal to remain (8)
I believe the answer is:
salinger
'author's' is the definition.
(JD Salinger)
'appeal to remain' is the wordplay.
'appeal' becomes 'sa' (old-fashioned abbreviation for sex appeal).
'to remain' becomes 'linger' (lingering is a kind of remaining).
'sa'+'linger'='SALINGER'
(Other definitions for salinger that I've seen before include "US author of The Catcher in the Rye" , "US novelist" , "J. D. ..., author of Catcher in the Rye" , "Jerome D ........ wrote ` ` The Catcher in the Rye' '" , "'JD..., author of The Catcher in the Rye (8)'" .)