Nicholas Sparks Teams With Songwriter For Upcoming Novel

Nicholas Sparks’ next novel will include a song written by JD Eicher as part of its storyline. Eicher released his album, The Middle Distance, on Nashville-based Rock Ridge Music in May. Based in Ohio, Eicher is also managed by Rock Ridge Music.

Best known as the author of The Notebook, Sparks will release the book Two by Two on Oct. 4. Meanwhile, Eicher wrote and produced a song titled “Two by Two,” which was inspired by the book. The song “Two by Two” is also incorporated into the narrative of Sparks’ novel, described in press materials as “a poignant tale of rediscovered love and the power of family, with the story of one man’s journey to rebuild his life as the single parent of a six-year old daughter.”

The soundtrack will include four songs and will be available to fans for free via one of the author’s websites starting Sept. 6 through Dec. 6. The set also includes a re-recorded version of “Not Afraid” from The Middle Distance and remasters of previously released songs “Love Is Gonna Find You” and “The Last Love Song.”

Sparks says, “It’s been so stimulating creatively, and rewarding at a personal level, to collaborate with JD on the Two By Two soundtrack project. I know my readers will flock to his music because he intuitively understands the characters and relationships at the heart of this story—he is a master of complex emotion.”

“The opportunity to collaborate with Nicholas on the Two By Two project has been a great honor and very exciting for me,” says Eicher. “I love the challenge of writing a song for a particular purpose, and diving into the Two By Two story and its themes was an inspiring and rewarding process. I am beyond grateful to have the chance to work with such a gifted storyteller!”