Former Hill staffer-turned-journalist Rebecca Gale has penned her first novel, and sorry political junkies, it's not the next "Primary Colors." And though it's a D.C.-based romance full of details only known to the Washington woman (how many minutes it takes to walk to the Metro in heels vs flats), "Trying" isn't chick lit either -- it's a paranormal love story in which government secrets are radioactive and can poison an employee who knows too much.

It's also a story about eating falafel in Adams Morgan and dating a workaholic, which makes "Trying" a quintessential Washington tale. Gale, who spent eight years on the Hill, most recently in the office of Sen. Jay Rockefeller, wanted the novel to reflect some of her D.C. experiences, even though the story has the tinge of sci-fi around it. She is now a contributing editor at Roll Call.

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"People in D.C. can be very caught up in their work," she told Yeas & Nays, and the book reflects that culture. But it's a great city, she says, where living on a street packed with diverse restaurants and being able to bike to work are thrilling to folks who are new to town.

Gale says her former Hill colleagues have been "fantastic" in their support of the book, though she adds, "I think they're probably relieved that it's not about the Hill or their offices." Watch out, though -- Gale says she'd love to pen a novel about the Hill next time around.