Nicholas sparks and cathy cote wife

Update:

On Tuesday, Jan. 6, Nicholas Sparks confirmed that he is separating from his wife of 25 years, Cathy.

Sparks, 49, said in a statement issued through Fritzo that the decision was not "made lightly" and that he and his wife "remain close friends."

Sparks, according to the AP, is known for blending romance and sadness in such novels as "The Notebook" and "The Wedding," the story of a 30-year-old marriage in crisis and how the husband fights to save it.

Many of his books have been adapted into feature films.

Editor's Note:This "Relationship Column" comes in response to two recent submissions — "Pornography, lust destroy intimacy" and last week's extremely popular letter titled, "To my ex-wife: I wish I would have held you tighter," also called a "real-life Nicholas Sparks novel" by Redbook magazine.

Author Sean Dunbar, 32, is married with two children and grew up in Eatontown.