Nicholas Sparks has made a giant impact on the literary world and on the hearts of millions.

He's a New York Times bestseller and has sold more than 130 million copies worldwide.

He has 24 books to his name and has been anointed the king of romance.

Eleven of his novels have been adapted into films with his first being the notebook,

the moving story about a couple who share a lifetime of love, despite the forces that threatened

to pull them apart. It's captivated audiences across generations

and reminds us of the enduring power of love.

The film celebrates its 20th anniversary this year

and has even been adapted into a musical on Broadway.

Sparks has always had a love of literature

and began writing at the age of 19,

with some encouragement from his mom and inspired by Stephen King, he wrote his very first horror novel. He eventually

found his way to writing about romance, and his novels about love and loss are so emotionally

gripping and have connected with so many readers.

Sparks himself has endured his own heartaches in life,

losing family members over the years.

But he has remained steadfast in his faith

and gives readers space to hold both love and grief together.

I sat down with him to talk about the inspiration for his novels, the impact his work has had on his fans, and his latest novel, Counting Miracles.

I'm Jenna Bush-Hager. Welcome to my podcast, Open Book with Jenna.

Thank you.

You've sold, I think, over 150 million books, but I'm sure you didn't think when you started out, okay, I'm going to be hugely successful. You just did what you wanted to do. So knowing that now, are you shocked by that number?

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