Nicholas and his wife Cathy founded The Epiphany School seven years ago to provide a strong education for youth preparing for college. After growing quickly, they began construction on a new school last year and recently unveiled The Epiphany School of Global Studies to the community of New Bern, North Carolina! At a recent open house in the school's beautiful new Performing Arts Center, Nicholas tells the 200 attendees... "We hoped the school would be loved by New Bern and embraced with quality education a little different from what you can get in other places." Read the full story at New Bern Sun Journal's website.

Join Nicholas for a book signing from 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. at the Patrick Beaver Memorial Library this Thursday, Sept. 6. The Hickory Public Library and Lenoir-Rhyne University Visiting Writers Series are hosting Nick's visit to Hickory, North Carolina, which also includes a public program at 7:00 p.m. at the P.E. Monroe Auditorium at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Both events are free, open to the public, and no tickets are required! For more info on the signing, visit HickoryNC.gov and for the Evening with Nicholas Sparks event info, visit VistingWriters.LR.edu.

"Not only did he fan the flames of my passion for reading (I couldn't put his books down, which made me seek out other books that replicated that experience), but he truly shaped my concepts of what a writer could do and be."