Janet Sierzant Publishes Second Novel

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Janet Sierzant Publishes Second Novel

Written by Christy Hinko Friday, 16 November 2012 00:00

Books’ content based on growing up on Long Island

Janet (Finno) Sierzant, a hometown girl from North Massapequa, and student from Farmingdale High School, has just released her second novel Searching for the Shire.

In Shire, Amanda Marcella wanted to be a housewife. After 20 years, she finds herself divorced and begins to rebuild her life. But someone is watching. Her life begins to unravel and she is thrust into a world of jealousy, obsession and revenge. Shire begins in Massapequa and Farmingdale, and then moves to Georgia with frequent return visits to Long Island.

Janet Finno Sierzant Sierzant confides that her novels are truth-based, and she says many tell her that her works are easy-reads.

Her first book, Gemini Joe, Son of a Mobster is about Joe, the main character, growing up in Brooklyn, during the Depression-era. After his father’s death, he moves to Long Island and gets involved with politics during the Nixon campaign.

When the Observer asked what kind of readers would find each of her books most fascinating, she said, “My target market for Searching for the Shire are women readers, especially women ages 18 and up, who are juggling careers and family life or those women who are settling in their marriage; and my target market for Gemini Joe are readers, [ages] 18 and up, especially those who are familiar with Brooklyn and Long Island.”

Her research for Gemini was based on audio recordings from her own father “about his youth in Brooklyn and his experiences on Long Island.”

“The later half of Gemini Joe is based in Massapequa, Amityville, Town of Oyster Bay, Mineola...etc.,” said Sierzant.

Gemini took her five years to complete, from start to finish. Shire took three years, and a third book that she is currently working on is nearly finished.

“I write all genres,” said Sierzant. “I have written a poetry book which won the Paris Book Festival Award in 2009, two children’s books, and I am currently working on a screenplay for Gemini Joe.”

Sierzant has been affected with the writing bug. She told the Observer, “I can never stop writing.” Her next project is a book based on “a true story about a woman who gets tangled up with a good looking, smooth talking sociopath.” She continues to gather material for a fourth book, a screenplay, and “perhaps one more children’s book for my granddaughter.”

She still has family in Farmingdale, and scattered around Long Island. “I visit at least two times per year and miss Long Island terribly,” Sierzant said.

She told the Observer that her fondest memories of growing up in the area were cutting school, and hanging out at the Village Green in Farmingdale. Although Sierzant says she really was not inspired to write when she was younger, she maintains that Dean Murphy and a teacher, Mr. Libberman, were some of the biggest influences in her life in general.

Sierzant, who was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island, now lives in Florida. She is a graduate of Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree. She is a member of the Florida Writer’s Association and the Treasure Coast Writer’s Guild. Her books are available at http://www.lamaisonpub.com/ and also at Amazon.com, in print or Kindle editions.

News

Rebuilding Together Long Island

Thursday, 16 May 2013 00:00

After Massapequa resident Sol Goldstein and several friends helped finish building a house for a family 20 years ago for Habitat for Humanity, they had a question: “What do we do now?” They were all retired, had enjoyed working together and accomplishing something for a family in need, and wanted to do more.

“I was looking for something [to do] hands-on,” said Joe Botkin, of Williston Park, a retired principal, who had worked with Goldstein in building the home.

Soon, Goldstein, a retired technician and technical manager for ABC television, learned of a national volunteer organization based in Washington, D.C., that offered free home repairs for low-income seniors, persons with physical handicaps, veterans, and families with small children.

After sending $12 for a handbook, Goldstein and his friends began “Rebuilding Together Long Island,” now one of the 189 affiliates of “Rebuilding Together” around the country.

“It exploded,” Botkin said, attracting both people who needed home repairs and volunteers eager to do the work — everything from fixing a faucet to installing wheelchair access ramps to undertaking major repairs on homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

The group, based in Massapequa, is working on opening an office in Farmingdale. They will celebrate their 21st anniversary at their annual dinner, May 22, at Stuart Thomas Manor, Farmingdale. For information, call 516-541-7322.

“There has been a greater demand for our services since Superstorm Sandy,” noted Bob Ellis, director of Rebuilding Together Long Island, their only paid staff member. The organization has made major repairs on seven houses devastated by the hurricane, including three in Massapequa.

“We average about 100 homes a year,” Goldstein, president of Rebuilding Together Long Island, said. “We have about 300 volunteers” working on houses around Long Island, especially in Western Suffolk and Nassau.

“The experience of helping people is fantastic,” said Botkin. “We’ve all had good lives and we’re happy to give back. Besides, it beats sitting inside the house and watching the boob tube.”

“Our volunteers are mostly retired and they get a lot of joy in the good they do and in working with each other,” Ellis said.

Rebuilding Together relies on financial donations as well as donations of materials, supplies, equipment, and time from contractors and craftsmen, and others.

“We wish we could do more,” Botkin said.

Organizations like The Long Island Board of Realtors and the Nassau County Bar Association work with Rebuilding Together, offering donations as well as recruiting volunteers to work alongside them.

Rebuilding Together receives referrals from social services agencies, churches and other houses of worship, and veterans’ organizations.

Their projects vary. The organization does light carpentry, plumbing and some electrical work, but for any new electrical work, they hire an electrician. “We also do sheet rock and spackling. We paint only what we repair.”

Their biggest projects have been hurricane repairs. “That might take us two weeks,” Goldstein said. “On one of those homes, we had to put in 50 sheets of sheet rock.”

Others have noted the organization’s accomplishments.

“We are engaged in a joint endeavor with them to help people who can’t afford home repairs,” said Elaine Leventhal, director of We Care, the charitable arm of the Nassau County Bar Association. “Our members, especially our Young Lawyers Committee, receive a lot of satisfaction working with them.”

Rebuilding Together also receives appreciation from those they have helped.

Cindy Johnson noted that Rebuilding Together built a ramp for her 93-year-old mother’s Massapequa Park home.

“It is a fantastic organization,” said Johnson.

Having the ramp has helped immensely for them to get their mother in and out of the house for medical treatment and even socially and recreationally.

“We took her outside for Mother’s Day and she said: ‘How wonderful it is to be in the sun,’” Johnson said.

“We also receive a lot of letters,” Goldstein said. “Many of them are heartwarming.”

“I’m very grateful for those wonderful people coming into my home and giving me the help that I needed very badly,” one Levittown woman wrote.

“Without your help, sometimes I think I would go under,” an Old Bethpage resident noted.

An 89-year-old Massapequa resident and her 92-year-old husband appreciated the work on their home, including a wheelchair ramp, which has helped her get safely in and out of their home for a doctor’s appointment, and also the installation of pull bars, which have helped him take showers without assistance.

“They did a magnificent job,” she wrote. “I cannot say enough to express my gratitude.”