Diana Palmer - Our Guilty Secret...

The older, more experienced, commitment-avoiding man is often a Diana Palmerstaple. As is the virginal, innocent (not TSTL) heroine. It's a formula that works for her. But it may not be your cuppa.

Some authors can do experienced, worldly women who are also vulnerable for the right alpha male. Lora Leigh comes to mind. She does alpha heroines combined with alpha heroes. HOT stuff!

But DP is all about nice girls who find themselves attracted to testosterone-laden alpha males and can't begin to imagine that he would be attracted to her. I think that one reason her books are so popular is that most of us can relate to the heroine. We can remember being young once, doubtful that we could ever attract the attention of the captain of the football team. We love the fantasy that under all that beefcake and self confidence, he's a vulnerable, sweet guy, tired of women who demand his attention as their due. He wants that shy, quiet girl who would appreciate being the center of his world, but never expects it.

I do occasionally want to reach into the pages and strangle the heroine for tolerating the hero's attitude and not standing up for herself. But to do battle with him would not be characteristic for a woman who has never been bullied before. It makes it that much more fun when she finally reaches the breaking point and gets in his face. It blows our macho hero right out of the water.

One of my favorite DP stories is Sutton's Way (recently re-issued in The Winter Man duology). She's a virgin, but kinda worldly as the lead singer in a rock band. He's a virgin widower who couldn't stand to sleep with wife he'd married when she was pregnant. It's a great story!

Another atypical DP: Regan's Pride. She's the widow he blames for the death of his cousin. He listened to his evil, twisted cousin's lies about her. This is a wonderful story about a woman healing from abuse and a man racked with guilt for allowing it to happen and for emotionally abusing her himself.

Also not to be missed is Rawhide and Lace. He took her virginity while losing his own. His self doubt was fed by his competitive brother who wanted the heroine. But she ran to New York where she lost the hero's baby in a car accident that crippled her... Another tearjerker!