Nicholas Sparks, the author of numerous best-selling love stories, has separated from his wife, Cathy Sparks, after 25 years of marriage.

Nicholas Sparks Splits From Wife

Sparks announced the separation in a statement to people. “Cathy and I have separated,” the writer, 49, told People magazine. “This is, of course, not a decision we’ve made lightly. We remain close friends with deep respect for each other and love for our children. For our children’s sake, we regard this as a private matter.”

The Sparks met one another while on spring break in 1988. The couple married in 1989 and went on to have five children.

Over the course of his career, Sparks has written 17 romantic novels, nine of which have made their way to the big screen. While he’s likely best known for The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, his latest novels adapted to film were the Best of Me and The Longest Ride.

Check Out Nicholas Sparks’ uBio HERE

Despite his knack for crafting intimate love stories, Sparks has openly admitted that he’s not always best when it comes to being a husband worthy of his pages.

“I don’t like to give marriage tips,” Sparks once told People back in 2003. “There are people who are probably much better at marriage than I am – they’ve lasted a lot longer. I could probably learn from them.”