Helen Picca

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Helen Picca

Goodreads Author


Born
in New Jersey, The United States
Website

Genre

Influences
Anna Quindlen, Jodi Picoult, Jane Kirkpatrick, Dennis Lehane

Member Since
December 2011

URL


I am a former Marketing Executive from NYC and hold a BA in English from Marymount College, where I learned to love the written word. I have traveled extensively, both internationally and domestically, and have lived in New Jersey, New York, Hawaii and Oregon. I visited Port Orford, Oregon several years ago, quite by accident, and fell in love with the place. It was here I was inspired to write my first book. Since that fateful day, I have been living here and enjoying the many wonders of the Oregon Coast, and writing away...

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Helen Picca My best advice is: be open to ideas. When I first got the idea to write a book--which came out of left field, as they say--it was a romance. I saw my …moreMy best advice is: be open to ideas. When I first got the idea to write a book--which came out of left field, as they say--it was a romance. I saw my characters in my mind's eye and they were in love, in this little town I was sitting in. So, I started researching the town, and discovered a little known event that occurred here during WWII. That was the beginning of a long thread that lead me through WWII, to POW's, to the women who served that formed the basis for my book. So, follow the thread wherever it leads, there are no coincidences.(less)
Helen Picca It usually comes out of the blue. I'll be sitting doing something routine, or perhaps having a conversation, and I get gobsmacked with the idea to wri…moreIt usually comes out of the blue. I'll be sitting doing something routine, or perhaps having a conversation, and I get gobsmacked with the idea to write. I guess it comes from the universe.(less)
Average rating: 3.69 · 13 ratings · 5 reviews · 2 distinct works
The Last Frontier of the Fa...

3.78 avg rating — 9 ratings6 editions
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From the Hamster Wheel to H...

3.50 avg rating — 4 ratings4 editions
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Books to the Rescue

With Stay-at-Home orders in place in many states, and with events cancelled, shops/salons/cafes closed, there is really no place to go and nothing to "do." Except read. Once, many people said they had no time to read, but now, we have lots of time. And books will save us--saving me--from the isolation and boredom. I can travel to faraway lands, meet amazing people, go back in time, and have unboun Read more of this blog post »
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Published on May 20, 2020 13:27

Helen’s Recent Updates

The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner
"I haven't read Nina Willner's previous book, but after reading this one, Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall is moving up to the top of my TBR!!

This is a WWII story unlike any other I've read in th" Read more of this review »
Helen rated a book it was amazing
The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner
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Extraordinary! Narrative non-fiction recounts the true story of two Holocaust survivors and the Americans who saved them. While it’s a great overview of WWII in Europe , it’s most importantly a human story of kindness and faith, courage and resilienc ...more
Helen rated a book really liked it
The Teacher of Nomad Land by Daniel Nayeri
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A great YA story, both educational and inspirational. Sheds light on how Iran was involved in WWII, the notion of enemies and allies, and the importance of communication, as in how do we communicate when we speak different languages. Heartwarming sto ...more
Helen wants to read
The Names by Florence Knapp
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The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant
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An enthralling step into the wilderness with all its beauty and pitfalls, as Grant explores the bounds of friendship and isolation.
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The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb
The River Is Waiting
by Wally Lamb (Goodreads Author)
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This may be the worst book I read this year. I stuck it out thinking it would redeem itself. Parts of it are not believable, it broaches too many topics (the penal system, abuse of indigenous people, art, AA…), and the mid section is tedious. If this ...more
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Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
Exit Party
by Emily St. John Mandel (Goodreads Author)
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Land by Maggie O'Farrell
Land
by Maggie O'Farrell (Goodreads Author)
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Whistler by Ann Patchett
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John of John by Douglas   Stuart
John of John: A Novel
by Douglas Stuart (Goodreads Author)
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More of Helen's books…
Quotes by Helen Picca  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“I remembered my own 'past' life, buying into the whole success myth, running on that hamster wheel and going nowhere, except from pleasure to pleasure, to new things, new titles, more accomplishments, wrapped up in my egocentric world of superficiality.”
Helen Picca, From the Hamster Wheel to Happiness in 10 Easy Steps

“The combat during the war was only a part of the horror. When soldiers came home, they were faced with new challenges, new fights to be won. When the anti-war public sentiment was strong, as it was during the Vietnam war, our brave soldiers came home to expressions of disdain and revulsion instead of the respect and honor they deserved. But perhaps the ultimate betrayal for veterans, who willingly risked their lives when their government asked, was making them fight to prove their sicknesses and disabilities were caused by the war in order to receive the free medical treatment they needed, or to be compensated. These were the worst indignities of war.”
Helen Picca, The Last Frontier of the Fading West

“I was young--so young--naive, isolated in a small world of safety and comfort too soon shattered by a phone call.”
Helen Picca, The Last Frontier of the Fading West

“I was young--so young--naive, isolated in a small world of safety and comfort too soon shattered by a phone call.”
Helen Picca, The Last Frontier of the Fading West

“The combat during the war was only a part of the horror. When soldiers came home, they were faced with new challenges, new fights to be won. When the anti-war public sentiment was strong, as it was during the Vietnam war, our brave soldiers came home to expressions of disdain and revulsion instead of the respect and honor they deserved. But perhaps the ultimate betrayal for veterans, who willingly risked their lives when their government asked, was making them fight to prove their sicknesses and disabilities were caused by the war in order to receive the free medical treatment they needed, or to be compensated. These were the worst indignities of war.”
Helen Picca, The Last Frontier of the Fading West

“It was like love, he thought, this crumbling chapel: it has been complicated, and therefore perfected, by what time had done to it”
Julie Orringer, The Invisible Bridge

“I remembered my own 'past' life, buying into the whole success myth, running on that hamster wheel and going nowhere, except from pleasure to pleasure, to new things, new titles, more accomplishments, wrapped up in my egocentric world of superficiality.”
Helen Picca, From the Hamster Wheel to Happiness in 10 Easy Steps

“I’ve been around men all my life. I don’t see how you all live with those things. They take more time and energy than a woman puts into her hair.”
Margaret Verble, Maud's Line

201765 Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie — 925 members — last activity Oct 24, 2025 06:14PM
A group for indie writers that want help writing and marketing their book. Friendly discussions and helpful advice encouraged. Bookwhacks are okay if ...more
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