Author Julie Hatch drew inspiration from her decades of experience as a medical professional to write her debut novel, The Very Best of Care. The jaw-dropping thriller plunges readers into the nerve-wracking world of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The story follows one young mother's fight against corrupt physicians and the exploitation of Big Pharma, all while attempting to save her premature newborn son's life.
Unapologetic in its look inside the hell that many families face inside the walls of the hospital, Hatch delivers a gripping and emotionally driven narrative that will have you on the edge of your seat. A Good Book To End The Day had the pleasure of interviewing the author ahead of her novel's June 3rd release. Check it out below:
Tell us a little about yourself and your journey toward becoming an author.
I am a healthcare professional—a retired nurse practitioner and a current acupuncturist. My years of working in neonatal and pediatric intensive care as a nurse practitioner were some of the most rewarding, interesting, and exciting years of my work life. Since leaving intensive care, I have become a licensed acupuncturist and a certified meditation teacher, going for the more holistic approach to health. But those years in the ICU remain so memorable and still run so deep within me that I feel compelled to write about them. What better way to remember and honor those years than to write?
I started writing the book during NaNoWriMo, which stands for "National Novel Writing Month," a program that is designed to encourage anyone who wants to write a novel. The goal is for each participant to write 50,000 words throughout November. That turns out to be just over 1600 words a day, sustained for the entire 30 days. My story had been percolating in my head for a while, so when November of 2020 rolled around, I was ready. I wrote the first 50,000 words that month. A year and a half later, the 78,000-word novel was written, edited, and ready for publication.
If you had only two sentences to persuade a potential reader to read The Very Best of Care, what would they be?
If you are fascinated by the dark side of humanity, or have wondered what could drive a corrupt doctor to harm his patients, or are curious about what kind of nefarious experimentation goes on in a hospital laboratory in the middle of the night, then this book might be for you. Add to that the power of a mother's love for her child and her unrelenting fight to save his life, and you end up with a rich blend of medical thriller with women's fiction.
What inspired the idea for your book?
The inspiration for my book came from a conversation I had with a colleague many years ago. It was on an insanely busy, overcrowded, chaotic day in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). With typical comic relief that we often used in such times, I jokingly said, "What if Nancy Shmuck [not her real name] was going out and pulling pregnant women in off the street and making them deliver?" After all, it was general knowledge that the NICU was one of the biggest money makers for the hospital. We laughed at the image of our short, stout, no-nonsense VP of nursing wrestling with pregnant women and dragging them into the triage unit. That seed of an idea was the inspiration behind the story.
What was the most unexpected challenge you encountered while writing your novel?
The most unexpected challenge was when I realized that my first draft was sorely missing good character development. I had been so completely focused on the plot. A good plot is important, especially in a thriller, but readers want more than just plot. They want characters whom they like and can relate to, and who they want to root for through all the trials and tribulations. The characters must be interesting and engaging enough to keep the reader glued to the story until the end.
In my redrafting, I paid a lot more attention to the characters, resulting in a better, more compelling story.
What was the most rewarding moment during the writing process?
Probably the most rewarding moment was when my publisher, Brooke Warner of She Writes Press, gave me the green light and agreed to publish the book.
What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?
Enjoy it! And trust your writing. Just write and write and write some more. Write from your heart. When you're just starting a book, write freely without stopping to critique, edit, reconsider, or second-guess yourself. Just write the story! Let it flow. It doesn't have to be good; there will be plenty of time to edit later. Don't worry about the finished product. Write every chance you get. The more you write, the better writer you become.
What does literary success look like to you?
Literary success for me will be when I hear that a reader was so immersed in my book that they escaped real life for an hour or so. They lost track of time and kept reading, kept turning the pages, relishing the experience, not ready to put it down despite dinner needing to be cooked and laundry to be folded. If at least one reader has that experience, I will consider the book a success.
Do you have any other projects in the works at the time? If so, can you offer any hints or teasers for your upcoming work?
My next novel is underway and is a medical suspense about a town facing a rash of teen deaths. The book will confront real-life issues that today's teens face, with the intention of leaving a social impact.
Anything else you'd like to add?
There are so many people and so much time that go into writing a book. It's been such a fantastic experience. So much so that I want to do it again with my second book. But without readers, the experience would be far less satisfying. Not everybody is going to like the book, and that's okay. I just want to thank everybody who picks it up and gives it a chance.
A Good Book To End The Day would like to thank Julie Hatch for this interview. Be sure to check out The Very Best of Care when it is released on June 3, 2025!
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