Hadley Vlahos: On Writing a Memoir About Working as a Hospice Nurse
Author Hadley Vlahos, RN, shares how her plans of being a writer were changed in college, but how she found her way back to writing after working as a hospice nurse.
Hadley Vlahos, RN, is a hospice registered nurse, mother, and wife. Her husband also works in the medical field as a doctor of physical therapy.
Vlahos started her career as a registered nurse at twenty-two. As a hospice nurse, she now visits people at their home while also educating and sharing stories about hospice care on social media, where she has more than a million followers. Follow her on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram.
In this post, Hadley shares how her plans of being a writer were changed in college, but how she found her way back to writing after working as a hospice nurse.
Name: Hadley Vlahos
Literary agent: Noah Ballard at Verve Talent and Literary Agency
Book title: The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life’s Final Moments
Publisher: Ballantine
Release date: June 13, 2023
Genre/category: Memoir
Elevator pitch for the book: In my memoir The In-Between, I share powerful stories from my experience as a hospice nurse, offering valuable insights into what end-of-life care can teach us about living. Join me as I guide readers through the lessons learned from the patients I've cared for, providing comfort and inspiration for those dealing with loss.
What prompted you to write this book?
I have always wanted to be a writer, but my plans changed in college when I became pregnant with my son and became a single mom. I decided to pursue nursing as a career due to the financial stability it would provide.
About a year into my career, burnt out from the stresses of nursing and raising a child alone, I found myself drawn to hospice care. Little did I know, the patients I cared for would completely change my life. I began sharing the stories that changed my life on social media; and how I had unexpectedly found life again at the bedside of my patients who were dying.
Soon after, those stories were changing other people's lives as well. I felt like there was only so much I could convey in under 60 seconds on social media so I decided to write a book to really put people into my shoes while I experienced the inexplicable.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
In January of 2021 I posted my first TikTok video asking if anyone would be interested in reading a book that I wrote. I began writing a few chapters and researching self-publishing vs traditional publishing.
After about a month of only rejections, in March of 2021, I sent my first email to who is now my literary agent, Noah. I began working on the book proposal soon after, usually late at night after a busy day seeing patients, and we submitted it to editors in August of 2021.
An auction quickly ensued, and I accepted a deal from Ballantine that same month. I turned in my final manuscript in October of 2022 and my book will be released in June of 2023!
My idea never changed during the process, and I am grateful for a team that shared my vision.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Absolutely! As someone from a small town in the South, I never knew that it was possible for someone like me to get a book deal. I certainly didn’t know anyone whose book was actually on the shelves of bookstores. Throughout this process, I feel like I’ve learned an entirely new language.
One of the biggest surprises for me was the amount of time it takes to go from idea to publication. It seemed so daunting at first to have to wait years for my book to be put out into the world. Now that I’m nearing the end of that journey, I see how necessary each step was.
I remember my literary agent telling me that he was giving me nine months to write the book. I thought to myself, “Ha! I don’t need nine months to write it. I can write it in two months.” Boy was I wrong. I used every single day of those nine months then many more months after that for the editing process.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I surprised myself with how emotional I would get while writing. In order to put the reader in my shoes while I experienced these events, I would have to mentally bring myself back in time. I’d close my eyes and see my patients again who had died years ago. I’d try to remember every sight, every smell, and every feeling I had as if I was experiencing it for the first time again. And because of this, I grieved again as if it was the first time when they died.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
When my readers close the book, I hope they feel less fearful of death. I hope they will feel a renewed energy for life and a desire to live every day to the absolute fullest.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Never be ashamed to ask for help and always be open to feedback. I have learned so much during this process by placing my ego aside, welcoming change, and being honest when I don’t know something.
Robert Lee Brewer is Senior Editor of Writer's Digest, which includes managing the content on WritersDigest.com and programming virtual conferences. He's the author of 40 Plot Twist Prompts for Writers: Writing Ideas for Bending Stories in New Directions, The Complete Guide of Poetic Forms: 100+ Poetic Form Definitions and Examples for Poets, Poem-a-Day: 365 Poetry Writing Prompts for a Year of Poeming, and more. Also, he's the editor of Writer's Market, Poet's Market, and Guide to Literary Agents. Follow him on Twitter @robertleebrewer.
