Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. It's soon going to be February,

which means Valentine's Day is almost here. Almost. So you've still got some time to cook up

something special for your significant other if you, like me, tend to push this sort of stuff

off until the last minute. But this podcast is, of course, a public service.

And so to help you get into a romantic state of mind all this week, we're showcasing

interviews with romance authors.

Now, if you're confused because you saw from the episode title that horror director

M. Knight Shyamalan is on the pod today, that'd be understandable.

But last year, he got together with the one and only Nicholas Sparks to work on a book

and movie project titled Remain.

And the two of them spoke to MPR's Lila Faddle about melding there to Baylorwix to create

a supernatural romance.

That's after the break.

This week on Up First, more violence in Minneapolis.

Democrats say they will block a spending bill in the Senate after another deadly ice

shooting. How will Republicans respond? And could the Trump administration rethink its

strategy on immigration? We'll keep you posted every morning with three stories you need to know to start your day up first.

Listen on the NPR app or wherever you get podcasts.

Nicholas Sparks is a best-selling novelist known for romantic dramas like The Notebook, which was made into a movie.

I waited for you for seven years.

And now it's too late.

I wrote you 365 letters.

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