It made me want to talk to the writer even more, but family and work kept me busy for another month, and it wasn’t until June that I found time to begin my quest. Eight have been adapted to films, including: Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, The Last Song, The Lucky One, Safe Haven, and most recently The Longest Ride. Most of the events had taken place long in the past—more than a quarter century earlier—and instead of names, there were only single initials. Almost immediately, I noticed that no one used last names. There was nothing to indicate who the writer or artist might have been. My longtime publicist at PMK-BNC, Catherine Olim, is my fearless protector and straight-shooting advisor, and I treasure her counsel. And in what seemed to be the most recently written pages, the writer spoke of a construction project currently under way at a beach house, on a different island altogether. Over time, Kindred Spirit has been a repository of hopes and dreams in written form…and always, there are love stories to be found. Over the next half hour, I laughed and felt my throat tighten; I ignored the uptick in the breeze and clouds that were turning the color of charcoal. The tone was unlike the previous letters, promising something grand, it seemed. By my side every step of the way, from gestation to squalling birth, is my longtime literary agent, Theresa Park, who is not only incredibly talented and intelligent, but has been my closest friend over the last quarter century. I wanted to love it but, unfortunately, I was underwhelmed. Kindred Spirit is a special place in North Carolina. For me, the creation of any novel is a bit like I imagine childbirth to be: a process of anticipation, terror, grinding exhaustion, and eventually, exhilaration…an experience that I’m glad I don’t have to endure by myself. Written by the author, or by someone who’d examined the contents? I opened the clasp. There was a letter from a young man who planned to propose to his sweetheart in a hot air balloon, and still another from a man who wanted to ask his neighbor on a date but feared rejection. When he turned to face me again, he said that he would answer my questions the following afternoon, but only if I was willing to lend him a hand on his construction project. 2.5 stars Every Breath is the first Nicholas Sparks book I have read. On a cool and blustery day in the late spring of 2016, I drove to Sunset Beach, North Carolina, one of many small islands between Wilmington and the South Carolina border. The first edition of the novel was published in October 16th 2018, and was written by Nicholas Sparks. Walking over, I introduced myself. I was curious as to whether a stranger had been as moved by the pages as I’d been and had taken them, or if perhaps there was some sort of caretaker who occasionally purged the mailbox. The beach was deserted. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. A plea for recognition? I should have left then. This story is one of the latter. All rights reserved to the book's author and publisher. It was the perfect resting place, an outpost of reflection. © Free Novels Theme. Visitors to Kindred Spirit are welcomed with a notebook and a pen inside an old mailbox on a remote stretch of beach and are invited to share their personal reflections while connecting with others who have filled the pages before them. I noted the quiet intensity I’d read about and the same observant blue eyes referenced in one of the letters.