Nicholas Sparks
... where they then settled in Fair Oaks, California (Sparks E 1). Sparks was just like any other child. He rode bikes, explored in the woods, and played with his neighborhood friends (Sparks B 1). Though he flunked his first English test, Nicholas Sparks survived elementary school (Sparks B 1; Sparks E 1). It was in high school when things got interesting for him (Sparks B 1). He still lived in Fair Oaks all through high school, and he graduated in 1984 (Sparks C 1). Sparks excelled academically and earned himself Valedictorian of his class (Sparks A 512). Running was Sparks’ true passion, and he received a full track scholarship to the University of Notre Dame (Sparks E 1; Sparks C 1). He broke the 4x800 relay with his team as a freshman in 1985, which is a record that still stands there today (Sparks C 1; Sparks E 1). Sparks’ was injured and spent the summer icing his Achilles tendon (Sparks B 2). During those three months was when he wrote his first novel, The Passing. Though The Passing was never published, it “gave him confidence” that he could complete such a task of writing a book (Sparks A 512). In March 1988, on spring break, Nicholas Sparks met a girl named Cathy in Florida (Sparks E 2). Cathy was from New Hampshire, and that day Sparks told her they would be married some day (Sparks B 2). Two months later, he graduated with high honors with a degree in Business Finance (Sparks C 1). Cathy moved out to California in August of 1988 (Sparks B 2). Sure enough, in July, 1989, they married (Sparks C 1). Six weeks after their marriage, Sparks’ mother Emma was killed in a horseback riding accident at the age of 47 (Sparks B 2). In 1991, Cathy gave birth to their first son, Miles Andrew. In 1992, they celebrated the birth of their second son Ryan Cote. Also, in late 1992, the family found out Sparks’ younger sister Danielle had cancer (Sparks B 3). In January of 1996, the family found out that their son Ryan was autistic. That brought extensive worry into the family. Then, in September, his father was killed in an automobile accident at the age of 54 (Sparks B 3). In the same year, Nicholas Sparks had written another novel, The Royal Murders (Sparks A 512). Unfortunately, like The Notebook, it was never published. Sparks’ decided to try a number of other short-term jobs. He appraised real estate, waited tables, bought and restored houses, sold dental products by phone, and then started his own business of manufacturing orthopedic products (Sparks C 1). In 1992, he sold his business and decided to go into pharmaceutical sales, which transferred Sparks and his family to North Carolina (Johnson 2; Sparks B 3). In 1994, he wrote The Notebook over a six-month period (Sparks A 512). In October of 1995, rights to The Notebook were sold...