Ignited with inspiration

Natalie Harnett, who moved to East Meadow 10 years ago with her husband Chris, has been writing her entire life, and is a frequent visitor of the Barnes & Noble bookstore on Old Country Road in Carle Place.

On May 13, Harnett will again visit the popular bookstore, only this time as a published author — that same day, her first novel, “The Hollow Ground,” will officially hit shelves, and Harnett will give a book reading and signing there.

The 42-year-old mother of one said it’s been her life goal to publish a novel. After earning her Master’s of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University, she spent the majority of the next two decades freelancing — she taught, tutored, wrote newsletters, and worked for the American Littoral Society. She’s also a reading and writing tutor at Nassau Community College. The freelance work, along with the support of friends and family, allowed her to pursue her dream of writing a full-length novel.

It became even more challenging when her daughter was born three years ago, forcing her to juggle the responsibilities of a first time mother with her writing. “There were times I’d hold her in one arm and be writing with the other,” she said.

Harnett had been crafting a story surrounding a young girl named Bridgid, who is telling a story of her family, and the decades’ worth of secrets they hold. She always intended the story to take place in northern Pennsylvania, where Harnett’s grandfather lived.

But when doing research, she learned of the historic coal mine fires that originated in Centralia, Pennsylvania in the early ‘60s, destroying the borough, its neighboring towns and the state’s flourishing coal mining industry.

She focused on nearby Carbondale, a city that was also greatly affected. As she further researched the area and the effects the underground fires had on its economy and people, she became engrossed in its history, and scrapped her original story, rewriting it to take place there in 1961. “I was just drawn into that town because it has that sort of mythic, lost feel,” Harnett said. “You can just feel something in that town.”

After working on the story for nearly five years, the book was published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, based in New York City.

With the release date days away, Harnett said she’s just enjoying the ride. Last week, she received her first copy of the finished product. “It’s almost like my hands are kind of shaking and my heart’s going,” she said. “It’s really thrilling.”

The reading will take place at the Carle Place Barnes & Noble on 109 Old Country Road on May 13, from 7 to 8 p.m.