After what seemed like a lifetime of campaigning — most notably with the Republican National Committee and its offshoots (Pennsylvania Victory) — Cristin Harber discovered that her guiltiest pleasure wasn’t carrying the day or grinding opponents underfoot: It was good, old-fashioned love stories.

“While on a few campaign trails, I’d jot down short stories and read political thrillers during the down time. Someone gave me a romance novel and I thought, ‘This is exactly what I always thought was missing,’” the amateur wordsmith said of the final push she needed to graduate to full-blown author.

After two solid years of writing, Harber is entering the market with her five-part Titan series, a string of romantic thrillers that sound like they fall somewhere on the spectrum between former Sen. Byron Dorgan’s wonky adventures and “50 Shades of Grey” scribe E L James’ insanely successful stabs at mommy porn.

“Each book has the guy that falls in love,” Harber told HOH of the driving force behind her three main books (“Winter’s Heat,” “Garrison’s Creed” and “Westin’s Chase”) and two corresponding novellas (“Chased” and “Gambled”). Many of the characters overlap throughout each book — Harber said the core group focuses on five specialist types (snipers, Blackwater-style mercenaries) — but each installment is a self-contained yarn.

“Chased” appears to be the most D.C.-centric, focusing, as it does, on “an up-and-coming actress and a congressman who’s the next big thing.” The novella also ties in with Harber’s forthcoming series “Capitol Secrets,” a planned trilogy set to debut early next year.

“That novel revolves around presidential campaign and is set entirely in D.C. and Alexandria, following a campaign manager and consultant who fall in love. But, the consultant is an undercover FBI agent investigating a murder, Harber said of her next challenge, adding, “It’s less bombs and guns … and more FBI and political intrigue.”

Harber said congressional types will likely recognize procedures and places sprinkled throughout (she admits that the “Eisenhower Club” is basically a thinly veiled version of the Capitol Hill Club), but she wants her former colleagues to know it’s not all paper pushing and long-winded strategy sessions.

“There are some steamy scenes,” she warned.

The Titan series was set to debut Oct. 1, but it’s already available via Amazon.