Nicholas Sparks Wins Hearts, Minds

If his acclaimed novel "The Notebook" hadn't already won the hearts of his devoted fans, Nicholas Sparks' visit to campus Tuesday night did the trick.

Sparks spent an hour in the Reynolds Performance Hall sharing anecdotes from his life and the stories behind some of his most successful books.

He never intended to be a writer. He was pursuing his degree in business finance at the University of Notre Dame and competing in track when he injured his Achilles' tendon in his freshman year. He spent the summer at his parents' house treating the injury and complaining about being bored. His mother suggested he write a book. He did. "The Passing." It was never published.

Sparks finished college, married and spent the next five years working at a variety of jobs and starting a company that manufactured orthopedic products. He was successful but he still wanted to write. During a six-month period in 1994, he produced "The Notebook" while working fulltime as a pharmaceutical salesman. Warner Books paid him $1 million for the rights to the book. He continued to work in sales until he published his second novel, "Message in a Bottle," two years later.

Sparks talked about his hardships and happiness while the crowd wiped away tears. He also made them laugh with his jokes and funny anecdotes.

He shared what is going on next in his career. His next book, The Best of Me, is due out this fall. His next movie, The Lucky One, starring Zach Efron, is scheduled for release next year.

Nicholas Sparks at Reynolds Performance Hall

After his lecture, Sparks posed for photographs, signed book and chatted with his devoted fans

What's his message to all the hopeless romantics out there?

"Wait on Noah. He's out there."

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