"Amour, Wine and Real Estate in Southern France" is California artist Marques Vickers' memoir and mediation on five years of his passionate pursuit of la belle vie in France's Languedoc rustic refuge. Vickers' 45 evocative and original vignettes illuminate the enchantment behind southern French culture and village life. His insider's profiles into the region's history, eccentricities and charm become an indispensable guide for the visitor wishing to lift the veil behind French mystique. For expatriates wishing to integrate seamlessly, his insights bridge the divide of nationality. His diverse...

"Eternal Spring Street: Los Angeles Architectural Reincarnation" is California author Marques Vickers' celebratory pictorial edition recounting the evolution and transformation of one of downtown Los Angeles' primary boulevards. The book features over sixty contemporary images of the architecture lining the blocks of North and South Spring. The modest dirt highway of Spring Street was originally called the Old Brea Road, servicing as a major commercial artery originating from the Los Angeles' El Pueblo settlement and separating in the direction of the LaBrea Tar Pits and the Cahuenga Pass...

California artist Marques Vickers' second poetic edition "Zen By Default" establishes a sustained interior dialogue between the poet and his ongoing life evolution living along the American Pacific Coast. His 300+ concise works address the ongoing themes of displacement and relocation and the challenge of cultivating and sustaining relationships in the midst of upheaval. Vickers examines his spectator role with regard to his own life: i am a third party to my own life spectator of my existence my river of words a stream overflowing the banks of reason as if eros alone were reason enough and i...

"When Letters Still Mattered" is an autobiographical compilation of letters, greeting cards and a book inscription addressed to California artist Marques Vickers. The 137-page collection begins with the public announcement of his birth to a 2012 book inscription written by famed artist muse Helga Testorf. The author's intimate portrayal of thirty influential individuals in his life provides a glimpse of his formation, development and evolutionary process. Vickers credits these writings, mostly brief, with shaping his perceptions about intimacy, family, relationships, business, art and...

"So You Think You Know California Wines?" is designed to simplify your understanding by identifying growing trends, grape descriptions and the history of California wine production. The edition profiles the 27 top wine grapes and principal growing regions. The 81-page edition is idea for wine collectors, winemakers and anyone who appreciates a world class California vintage. The following are just fourteen from hundreds of little known facts about California wines and the 2015 grape harvest. 1. Of California's 3.7 million tons of wine grapes harvested in 2015, the Central Valley growing...

"Reinventing Broadway Street: Los Angeles' Architectural Reincarnation" is California author Marques Vickers' second celebratory pictorial edition recounting the evolution and transformation of one of downtown Los Angeles' primary boulevards. The 215-page book features over 200 exterior photographs of the structures with their architectural details that line the blocks of North and South Broadway Street in the center of downtown Los Angeles. The book traces colorful legends, anecdotes and landmarks that preceded current standing constructions. Broadway Street was originally identified as Fort...

The creation of the train routes through the Western Washington Cascade Mountains proved a monumental challenge. The conflict arose between the engineering capabilities of man and the treacherous topography and inclimate weather of the region. The nine miles of track connecting the towns of Stevens Pass, Wellington and Scenic, Washington ultimately proved a failure for the Great Northern Railway. The Iron Goat Trail that retraces the former routing is a popular hiking destination. The trailhead is easily accessible by car. The well-maintained path leads you through traces of two ghost towns...