II. BackgroundNicholas Sparks was born on December 31, 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska (Jessica Estremera). He was the second of three children of Patrick Sparks, a college professor, and his wife Jill. Nicholas spent the early part of his childhood moving around with his family while his father completed college (Biography Channel website). "Since my father was a student until the age of 9 and my mother didn't work, we didn't really live the high life when I was little. I grew up on powdered milk and I ate tons of potatoes, but to be honest, I never noticed how poor we were until I was old enough to honestly assess things. Even then, it didn't matter, for. Mostly, I had a wonderful childhood and I wouldn't change anything,” Nicholas said in an interview. The University of Notre Dame had offered Sparks a full scholarship. In 1985, during his junior year, Sparks was part of a relay team that set a school record that still stands. But the season didn't end on a good note for the future author: an Achilles tendon injury slowed things down for Sparks and forced him to spend the summer recovering. In 1988, Sparks graduated with honors and also met Catherine Côté, his future wife, who married soon after (Jessica Estremera). The day after he married his bride, Sparks heard the story that inspired The Notebook. Cathy's grandparents were too sick to go to the ceremony the day before, so the Sparks decided to bring the wedding to them, dressing up in tuxedos and dresses and taking photos at Cathy's grandparents' house. Nicholas observed how Cathy's grandfather treated his wife with great respect and admiration. The story of their love was recited in Sp...... middle of paper ......azine, October 6, 2003. Web. March 25, 2014.Amy Kaufman. “Nicholas Sparks is a master of romance.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, February 4, 2010. Web. March 25, 2014. Estremera, Jessica. Nicholas Sparks: a biography. Hyperink. 2012. Print. “NCW – What Critics Say About Nicholas Sparks.” NCW--What Critics Say About Nicholas Sparks. Np, and Web. March 25, 2014. “Nicholas Sparks Biography.” Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, and Web. March 24, 2014. Nickell, Kelly. “Writing on instinct: Nicholas Sparks.” WritersDigestcom. WritersDigestcom, March 11, 2008. Web. March 25, 2014. Schillinger, Liesl. “Eclipse Books for Children/Young Adults”. The New York Times. The New York Times, August 11, 2007. Web. March 25, 2014.Sparks, Nicholas. At first glance. New York: Warner, 2005. Print. “Biography of Stephenie Meyer”. Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, and Web. March 25. 2014.