MANILA, Philippines - Meet the man who has made millions and spurred the sales of tissue all over the world with his romance novels?though ones that don?t always give us that warm and fuzzy happy ending.

Then again, perhaps that is why they strike a chord with millions of readers. They are meditations on the infinite nature of love against such finite constraints. Love is a wonderful and maddening thing, and it does not always lead us where we want it to. Just ask anyone who has read or seen the film version of ?A Walk to Remember.?

In this exclusive, Nicholas Sparks talks about his latest novel-turned-film that stars Richard Gere and Diane Lane, ?Nights in Rodanthe,? yet another exploration of that crazy little thing that keeps us all up at night.

Congratulations for ?Nights in Rodanthe,? the fourth movie made from a novel of yours. Why do you think your books translate so well into film?

Well, aside from being a fairly popular, relatively well-known novelist, I think the stories themselves translate well. There are usually two major characters, the plot is linear, and there are strong dramatic elements which make for strong performances.

You?ve had some interesting jobs before becoming a writer. Could you tell us about your life before you became a popular novelist?

Well, like most Americans who graduate from college, I had zero idea what to do with my life! So I explored a number of different things. I always had two jobs. I waited on tables, sold real estate, sold dental products, started a business, even got into pharmaceuticals.

So when did you finally write your first book?

By 19, I finished my first novel. I wrote it on a whim. My mom told me to write a book and it was terrible! It wasn?t good at all. By 22, I graduated from college and wrote another book. By 28, I told myself third time?s the charm, so I tried really hard. It helps that I read about a hundred books a year! I started reading when I was 6 years old, so I had read 700 or more books by that time, and reading with a critical eye. It was osmosis learning. I really took it seriously. I edited critically, I cut and worked very hard at it.

Many of your books deal with universal themes of love and tragedy. What is it about your love stories that make them New York Times bestsellers? Do you draw on personal experience when writing your love stories?

To craft a good love story, I draw from elements of my own life, from people I know, places I?ve been to. You have to make it universally appealing. You have to understand the genre in its entirety. I?ve read them all?Euripides, Sophocles, the Greek tragedies, ?Romeo and Juliet,? ?Anthony and Cleopatra,? ?Farewell to Arms,? I read all of them! And so I have the basic, extensive knowledge of the genre throughout the years.

How active are you with the film production of your stories?

I try to avoid direction. I go to the set a couple of times, but when I go I?m the only one who doesn?t have a job to do! I?ve been blessed with working with very good people who know how to translate the book very well.

Many of your novels explore themes of Christianity. Could you tell us more about your spiritual life?

I was born Catholic, my faith is a very important part of my life. Here in the South (of the United States), it is a major part of life. I moved here when I was 22, from California. The South has its own unique region compared to bigger parts of the US.

Of your novels so far, which is your favorite?

Time will tell, but for now it is ?Nights in Rodanthe.? Time will tell. My older son is more into ?The Notebook.?

Could you tell us about your writing process?

I try to write at least 2,000 words everyday, four to five days a week. It takes me about five months to finish a novel. I can write while on tour.

Do you ever get writer?s block?

I get writer?s block all the time! It?s part of the process. Subconsciously, I know I?ve taken a wrong turn in my novel if I can?t go on, so I trace back steps by three days and go back.

What do you think is the most important lesson about love that you?ve learned throughout your creative process?

That love is a different experience depending on the age it happens. At 17, you don?t really know who you are yet, and that changes when you?re 48. It depends on different situations. In every book, I was trying to find an answer to the basic questions of life. I wanted to live with finding out by experiencing it myself.