Lisa: We’re so pleased to have author Dal Maclean stopping by today to celebrate the release of her new novel, Object of Desire. Welcome, Dal! Let’s start with a question about the book: what’s your favorite scene in “Object of Desire”, and what makes it a fave?

Dal: Because there are a fair number of twists and turns and hopefully surprises, I can’t say which is actually my favourite scene because it would probably give lots of games away. But I’ll go with the moment Tom (the POV character) sees his ex, Will Foster, again after a two-year separation.

Lisa: Would you care to share an excerpt from the scene with us.

The Excerpt: Tom looked sharply away. He found he had to force himself to stay still, in his languid pose, by focusing on his boot. Brown suede, Saint Laurent, new season, straps and buckles.

Hair hiding his down-turned face; heart hammering in a chest as tight as if it were gripped in a vice. Waiting, until he finally felt a solid presence beside him.

It took him a second to look up. He inhaled sharply.

He’d so easily made Will Foster a weak memory of a terrible mistake, escaped. A guilt he’d much rather dodge away from, than wallow in. So he’d managed to forget the full power of Will’s attractiveness, and his own old resentment of it. But Will hadn’t really changed.

He wore a narrow-cut, no-nonsense, light gray suit, a white shirt and a black tie—to Tom’s fashion-immersed eye, all obviously off-the-peg and inexpensive. Just like his no-nonsense haircut.

But the snowy fabric of the shirt set off Will’s pale olive skin and big, light-hazel eyes, made still more beautiful by extravagant black lashes and thick, dark, winged brows. The cut of the cheap suit emphasized his broad shoulders and narrow waist. And that basic side-street haircut—short around the sides and back, lengthier than it had been on top—showed off his long, strong neck and impeccable bone structure; his wide lush mouth, his strong angular jaw.

He even smelled the same—the Tom Ford aftershave which Tom could no longer tolerate.

Lisa: I agree that was a great moment in the story. If you could spend some real-life time with one of the characters in the book, who would you choose and why?

Dal: I think Tom, probably, because he’s a study in contradictions. He’s stubborn as all hell, knows objectively that a lot of people desire him for his looks, but actually doesn’t think that much of himself, if you read between the lines

He has a very distorted view of love and commitment and deep down he dislikes himself for the choices he’s made in his life, but is equally convinced that there was and is no other way for him, so he wouldn’t change those choices. He’s brave, steadfast, very intelligent but he also allows fear to mould important parts of his life. He’s deliberately aloof and apart, which is what makes him seem both elusive and impossible to own—an object of desire, in fact—but he’s also lonely. And did I mention he’s heroically stubborn? Hanging out with him though—you could take the piss out of him, and he’d laugh along with you. (Not that he has a lot to laugh about in the book but…)

Lisa: Yes, I loved the way you revealed all those little bits and pieces about Tom as the story progressed. He was as much a mystery at times as the mystery was he and Will were investigating.

Let’s take off your author cap and put on your reader cap for a moment: what do you look for in a book, what sort of protagonists do you love, and do you have a favorite genre/sub-genre?

Dal: I love flawed protagonists (you’d never guess, would you?) and stories with genuine and not artificial conflict. I love books where threats to the relationship aren’t all external, but come from within too.  I love mysteries most of all, but well-done historicals and fantasy almost as much.

Lisa: What are your least and most favorite things about being an author?

Dal: Oooh. Hard one. My favourite part is probably edits believe it or not. Because the story is there, its been born, you’re just trying to perfect it, and it can be a fun dialogue if you have an editor who’s invested in the book too. Least favourite is waiting for readers reactions I guess, because it’s terrifying.

Lisa: Let’s talk tropes: do you have a few favorites that you enjoy both writing and reading? If so, what are they and what makes them your faves?

Dal: I love unreliable narration – if that’s a trope? Plus I like reading ‘enemies to lovers’, ‘second chances’ and ‘apparently unrequited love’ – also tropes? As a writer I use unreliable narration all the time for my POV characters, and I’ve now written both second chances and apparently unrequited love. Not ‘enemies to lovers’ though, because I think it may be very hard to do if you really delve into the trope. Maybe it needs a fair amount of narrative time to make the change believable? For example I think  Captive Prince is close to perfectly done as an enemies to lovers arc because the protags were seriously ‘I want to slaughter you’ enemies. And it took three books and several short stories to really believe in a HEA. I thought it was fantastic because it wasn’t rushed or played down, and getting a happy ending out of that situation was phenomenal. I love that best of all. A hard win happy ending feels more valuable. Unreliable narration really worked for Captive Prince, too, incidentally.

Basically—I suppose as a reader I crave real and non-trivial conflict in romance because I think characters believably overcoming real obstacles/flaws/roadblocks within themselves to fall in love/get together is inherently wildly romantic.

Lisa: If I were to interview Tom and Will, what would they say about you?

Dal: ‘We just want her to leave us alone.’

Lisa: Okay, that made me chuckle. You definitely put them through their paces.

Let’s move on to some non-book related questions just for fun. If you were stranded on a desert island, what are three things you’d absolutely have to have?

Dal: Assuming there’s electricity and food, of course? A coffee machine, access to the internet, and sunscreen or a very big hat

Lisa: If you could be any animal in the world, what would you choose? Why?

Dal: A red panda. Because I’d out-cute every other living thing

Lisa: If you were to sit down and write your autobiography today, what would the title be?

Dal: ‘It Wasn’t As Bad As I Thought’

Lisa: What a great end to a great chat. Thanks so much for being here with us, Dal, it’s been a pleasure!

About the Book

Title: Object of Desire
Author: Dal Maclean
Publisher: Blind Eye Books
Genre/Categories: M/M Romance, Thriller, Murder Mystery, Suspense/Thriller, Psychological Thriller
Length: 310 Pages
Release Date: 22 May 2018
Blurb: Tom Gray is one of the world’s top models–an effortless object of desire. Self-contained, elusive and always in control, he’s accustomed to living life entirely on his own terms. But when Tom comes under suspicion in the gory death of his employer, his world spirals into chaos.

Someone’s framing him. Someone’s stalking him. And as old secrets come to light, Tom finds his adversary always one step ahead.

Will Foster is the only man Tom trusts to help. But Tom brutally burned all bridges between them two years before, and Will paid a bitter price. If he wants to survive, Tom must prove his innocence to Will–and to the world.

Buy the Book: Amazon || Smashwords

About the Author

Dal Maclean comes from Scotland. Her background is in journalism, and she has an undying passion for history, the more gossipy and scandalous the better. Dal has lived in Asia and worked all over the world, but home is now the UK. She dislikes the Tragic Gay trope, but loves imperfect characters and genuine emotional conflict in romantic fiction. As an author, and a reader, she believes it’s worth a bit of work to reach a happy ending. Agatha Christie, English gardens and ill-advised cocktails are three fatal weaknesses, though not usually at the same time.

Her first book, “Bitter Legacy”, was a 2017 Lambda Literary Award Finalist for best Gay Mystery and was chosen by the American Libraries Association for their 2018 Over The Rainbow Recommended Books List.

Connect with Dal: Website || Author Goodreads || Author Twitter: @MacleanDal || Facebook || Instagram

The Giveaway

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