| THELUCKYONE | Nicholas Sparks novel featuring a Marine who wins a streak of poker games |
| WISP | A small broom; a twisted bunch as a torch; a bundle of hay/straw; a flock of snipe; or, something delicate, such as a streak of smoke or a tuft of hair (4) |
| ONE | Zac Efron romance based on a Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, The Lucky ___ (3) |
| HAVEN | Film adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel starring Julianne Hough, Safe ___ (5) |
| LANE | A streak of dust and gas in a spiral galaxy; a narrow country road between hedges; a passage through a crowd; or, a division of a track or pool for one runner or swimmer (4) |
| NOTEBOOK | The _, 2004 film based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel Mcadams (8) |
| WANDANEVADA | 1979 Peter Fonda movie about a man who wins a young orphan (14-year-old Brooke Shields) in a poker g |
| JUDGE | A person who decides who wins a competition (5) |
| FOGG | Phileas who wins a twenty-thousand-pound wager, in a Verne novel |
| SAFEHAVEN | 2010 Nicholas Sparks novel in which Alex and Katie fall in love: 2 wds. |
| THEBESTOFME | 2011 Nicholas Sparks novel in which Dawson and Amanda fall in love: 4 wds. |
| THENOTEBOOK | 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel in which Noah and Allie fall in love: 2 wds. |
| THECHOICE | 2007 Nicholas Sparks novel in which Travis and Gabby fall in love: 2 wds. |
| MATER | Mother is the one who wins a game of chess (5) |
| RIDE | "The Longest ___" (Nicholas Sparks novel) |
| ATFIRST | Nicholas Sparks novel, ... Sight (2,5) |
| DASH | Smidgen of admixture such as soda in a drink; a sprint; a streak of colour; symbol combined with a dot in Morse code; or, ostentation (4) |
| BARGAINER | One prepared to compromise who wins a second medal? |
| ELECTEE | One who wins a race |
| WINNIETHEPOOH | Classic novel featuring a bear, a pig, an owl, and a donkey |
