Nicholas Sparks, who has penned a number of best-selling novels that have been adapted for the big screen, has most recently been promoting the adaptation of The Best of Me, starring James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan.

Nicholas Sparks On ‘The Best of Me’

In The Best of Me, Dawson (Marsden) and Amanda (Monaghan) are high school sweethearts, now in the their forties, who find themselves falling back into each others arms. Part of Sparks’ inspiration to tell this particular love story was the uniqueness of being a person in his or her 40s, a decade that exists in an inbetween of sorts.

“I just think the 40’s are a very interesting decade,” Sparks told uInterview exclusively “The 40s is like this period where you’re shifting from one to the other. At the same time, I think that brings with it all sorts of great questions. The ‘what if’ questions of life, because often you find yourself, how did I get here, and you realize it’s the choices you’ve made but it feels like you’ve been carried along by a river.”

The Best of Me is Sparks’ sixteenth of seventeen novels and the ninth to be turned into a major motion picture. Sparks’ love story novels and their film adaptations alike have achieved incredible commericial success. Above everything, according to Sparks, developing a quality love story requires a sence of authenticity.

“Authenticity, I think that’s the big thing,” said Sparks. “You don’t want to manipulate. You don’t want it to feel hackneyed or anything. You really want to be swept along with the emotions of the character whether it’s in a novel, a play or whether it’s a film. If you are effectively moved and you fall in love with the characters and you fall in love with the idea of them falling in love, no matter how it ends, then, that’s the story that resonates with me for a long time.”

When bringing his movies to life on the big screen, Sparks’ characters need to be played by the right actors. Marsden, who had a part in The Notebook, with his varied roles, was the perfect fit for the rugged and introspective Dawson. “When we brought him in he was able to use all of that experience to really show an amazing depth of emotion and breadth,” said Sparks of his movie’s star. “He can really put off a lot of different emotions. It was fun to work with him again. He’s a great guy, he’s always fun to talk to and he worked so hard on the film. It was a thrill.”

The Best of Me is currently in wide release.