The Tough--Girl Trap.(Brief Article)

Modern women often send men mixed messages that can drive them away, says 26-year-old romance novelist Hillary Fields.

* I write romance novels for allying. Before you groan "Not another woman writing about damsels in distress and their overmuscled Fabio-esque rescuers," let me assure you that I take a distinctly modern approach to the genre. Yes, some of my characters are traditional, like a swashbuckling pirate or a masked martial artist, hut those heroes are all women. More important, my male characters are not only impressed by the fierce femmes, but they also fall head over heels in love with them.

Unfortunately, that scenario might be the most unrealistic thing about my novels. Despite a recent trend in entertainment that celebrates assertive, ass-kicking chicks (Xena, Warrior Princess; Charlie's Angels; and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for example), I've rarely met a guy who isn't somewhat turned off by a powerful woman when he meets her in person. In my novels, women are self-sufficient and goal-oriented, and they occasionally make the first romantic move. One of my heroines might demand, "Kiss me, you fool!" And the hero complies, thereby rewarding her boldness and bravery.

In real life, however, I've found the opposite to be true. The more decisive and strong-willed I act while on a date, the more likely it is that I will never bear from the guy again. And if you make more money or are more advanced in your career than a man, forget about it. I have a friend with a great magazine job who fooled ...