The Inspiration Behind Finding You in Me

Find You in Me by Gaia Thorne, concept art

I remember the day I decided to start writing Finding You in Me. It was late 2024, and after a year of watching K-dramas (Korean dramas) and diving into K-pop, an ideal took root in my imagination. For someone who never saw herself as a K-pop fan, I was discovering my own bias — the assumption that the music was all bubble-gum sweet. Instead, I found multiple genres that sounded like the music I’d always loved… just sung in Korean.

But, what sets K-pop apart? The complete, refined branding and the strategic, addictive fan engagement.

As I took the deep dive — finding my favorite groups and celebrity crushes (here’s looking at you, Lee Junho of 2PM) — I suddenly felt inspired to begin my first new story in more than 10 years. I asked myself, What would bring together a K-pop Idol and a business savvy African American woman?

From the very start, my hero and heroine are instinctively drawn to each other — physically and professionally. Their admiration feeds a mutual connection and a string of breath-stealing interactions. They’re consummate professionals though, so it takes an unexpected event to fracture their self-discipline and breach the walls they’ve built. What they discover is a fire they can’t resist once it finally ignites.

Will their love flame out?  Or will the embers keep fueling their passion?