Crime-Fiction Altruism: LAXtras
LAXtras, an anthology of diabolical stories.
By my reckoning, this is what happened. Margot Kinberg, in a rush of empathy and altruism, solicited our services to create LAXtras, a collection of stories about dodgy people. We all did our thing: Wrote a bit of crime fiction; submitted it to Margot; got her stamp of approval—probably a lovely response, full of generosity and affirmation; and then voila! We became part of something wonderful, bigger than ourselves and our stories.
You, the reader, can also become part of the story. We’ve produced a book of entertaining crime fiction to benefit The California’s Wildfire Recovery Fund, or, as I think of it, the victims of the recent fires in Los Angeles. Click here, and, for just a small amount, contribute to the cause.
I am a mere cog in the wheel, one of the 19 writers who donated a story of my own.
To my mind, two general themes emerged in the evolution of the anthology:
First, despite our predilection for criminal activities, we are all fairly decent souls at heart.
Second, Margot is a saint. She is the editor of this collection, the captain who steered the ship to publication.
She presided over the authors and our stories, using kindness, tact, and generosity, and also navigated the cover crisis like a seasoned diplomat—enough said.
My memory of how it began for me is vague. I was on Facebook, shooting the breeze with fellow writers, when suddenly we were all offering to write crime stories set in L.A. and to submit them to someone named Margot Kinberg, who was soliciting authors for a good cause.
To quote the captain herself, author of the short story “Pack Light”:
“I live a little over a hundred miles from Los Angeles. So, when the wildfires broke out, I couldn’t sit by and do nothing while people lost everything. Since I’m a crime writer, I decided to help out by putting together some Los-Angeles based crime stories. And there are so many other talented writers out there that I thought we could all pitch in and create a better anthology than I could myself. I’m very grateful to everyone who’s been a part of this project.”
I volunteered immediately, because it was an excellent way to feel good about myself, while doing something that I love, namely, writing stories about criminals. But there was another reason. Living in Pasadena, painfully close to Altadena, I had been one of those with a suitcase packed, ready to run. In the end, I didn’t have to move, and my home was spared. So yes, I’d contribute a story.
For quite some time I’d been tinkering with a tale about a woman of a certain age, who had lost some of her marbles, and worked as a babysitter for affluent people. This was easy to adapt to a Los Angeles setting. A hot summer night, an unknown, last-minute babysitter. What could possibly go wrong? The story became “Babysitters to the Stars.”
I asked the anthology’s authors to contribute to this blog by telling me about their stories. What inspired you?
A glittering mosaic emerged, of ghosts, dogs, moonless nights and evil-doers, plus an eclectic gaggle of story-tellers.
Here’s piece from M.E. Proctor, author of “Poolside.”
“This is what I have for you about my story…, “Poolside”—a fun PI story (OK, somebody dies, but the tone is light … is that a contradiction?)
The story, “Poolside”, comes from my long time obsession with David Hockney’s paintings.
I was born in gray, rainy, gloomy Belgium (Northern fog and all that) and the turquoise blue and pastel pink of Hockney’s California pools were endlessly fascinating. To this day, I still love to take pictures of water, catch the transparency; it’s the stuff of dreams. So when the call said ‘Los Angeles’ I knew where I would go. Add to it a fascination for houses made of glass that seem to float in air, and I was heading for the Hollywood Hills. In the process I imagined the character of Jack Carver, a young PI, who’s seen too many prima donna clients. Nothing surprises Jack anymore … and yet!”
“This is the inspiring painting, David Hockney’s ‘A Bigger Splash’ ”
*****
And here is a “wee tale of working on the book with Margot,” from Kelly Young, author of “A Ghost of a Chance.”
“I was determined to submit a story from my Haunted & Harassed series, and wrote one that saw my ghost Joe helping to save animals from the fire.
Margot got back to me and said while she loved the story (isn’t she the sweetest?), that I had forgotten to put an actual crime in it.
I was so excited to be part of my first anthology that I forgot to relate the story to the theme!
I went back to the drawing board and had the ghosts scaring away looters, which Margot approved, and the rest is history.”
*****
And now to London, for a sardonic self-reflection from Mark Bastable, author of “Petal on Los Feliz,” whose inspiration was part Sauvignon Blanc and part canine.
“The Village Bakery, the people who run it and their dog Petal are all real.
I live in London, and I met Richard and Barbara in Italy, fifteen years ago. When the chance came up to write a crime story set in LA - where I've been only once - I thought, "What do I know about that city that isn't lifted straight from a movie? And can I write a convincing LA detective?"
And my immediate answers were, 'Not much' and 'No'.
So I went straight to my usual source of inspiration—Sauvignon Blanc—and having inspired myself all evening, I asked the questions again.
And this time the answers were, 'A bakery' and 'Yes, if I avoid the problem by making the detective...hic!...a dog.'
Having written the story I sent it to Richard and Barbara, asking their permission to use them in a fiction. They assented, for which I'm grateful. They didn't tell me that Petal was very unwell.
Petal crossed the rainbow bridge the following week. So this story is not just a whimsical invention built around a small, lively dog - it's also an unwitting tribute to a well-known and popular neighborhood character in central LA.”
*****
Consider this sobering paragraph from John Tures, author of “Death Comes a Story.”
“I heard about [the anthology] from Sharon Marchisello, the queen of cozy cat mysteries, a great friend (we edit each other’s work). I jumped on the idea because my brother, who works as a librarian, lives in L.A. He and his wife weren’t directly affected, but it was a tragedy for many. Glad Margot came up with a way for us to help.”
*****
Several of the anthology’s authors produced some weird and wonderful factoids about their stories, themselves, and some heartfelt words for Margot.
Sharon Marchisello, author of “Just Desserts.”
“I used to live in Los Angeles, not far from one of the areas affected by the fires. My heart goes out to the people who lost so much. When Margot proposed doing the anthology to benefit the victims, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”
*****
Cat Connor, author of “[Lima Alpha Xray].”
“I’ve known Margot for quite a while now (years), and I was delighted when she told me about the project. It’s a great cause and I got to be in an anthology with some Backspacers and Margot. I mean, it doesn’t get much better than that.”
*****
Roselyn interjects, Ah, now I remember, it was Cat who drafted me to contribute a story!
Lynette Eklund, author of “Block Party.”
“Actually knowing people who lost their homes in the fires, I was thrilled to discover Margot's post about the fundraiser anthology.
My story was inspired by a block party I attended in North Hollywood—although that's where the similarity ends!
*****
José Bográn, author of “The No-Win Scenario.”
“When I read Margot's call for short stories and saying where the profits would go, I felt moved and inspired by her initiative. My contribution to the anthology, which I was happy to learn was accepted, features an insurance fraud investigator coming across a case where the legality trumps what's just. The title, The No-win Scenario, was inspired by Star Trek's "Kobayashi Maru Test" that faces a starship captain with only bad options that may lead to certain death.”
*****
Brenda Seabrooke, author of “Foxhole in Angeltown.”
“We were a Coast Guard family and lived in California for nine years where we made lifelong friends and my first two books and story (Redbook) were published. I was happy to revisit for such a good cause and one close to me: my niece escaped from Paradise (Camp Fire seven years ago this month) with twenty minutes warning. It was really awful. At a checkpoint a policeman asked if she would take a man who lost his truck, tools, house. All he had was his Lab that was terrified. He was separated from his adult children, but they were safe. I don’t know what they did after that.”
*****
Linda Sands, author of “I Burn For You.”
“I chose to donate a story to the collection as I lived in Southern and Northern California for many years and felt the impact of wildfires firsthand. Since then, I have moved around the country and met a lot of firefighters- both wildland and structural. Their stories have shaped the way I respect and fear fire.
What happened in Southern California was a travesty. I hope to see positive fire-fighting changes in the future through construction products, preventative measures and community education.”
*****
Anne-Marie Campbell, author of “The Dead Grandmother’s Birthday Party.”
“When I wrote “The Dead Grandmother’s Birthday Party,” I wanted to explore how a seemingly ordinary family occasion can suddenly tilt, revealing shocking surprises no one expected—including one the dog notices before the humans do. I dedicated the story to my sister Jane and her husband Dave, who have stayed rooted in Altadena and weathered first-hand the Kinneloa Fire of 1993 and the Eaton Fire of 2025. I’m grateful this anthology that supports wildfire recovery in the community they’ve cherished for more than twenty years.”
*****
K.B. Owen, author of “Gary’s Last Christmas.”
“When I met Margot and discovered that not only had we each worked in academia and loved mysteries—a genre not considered terribly high-brow at the time—but that we were both (recovering) Philly girls, I knew she and I were destined to be friends. Over the years she's been so supportive of my books. I'm so happy I got the chance to work with her on this anthology. She's a terrific editor as well as a wonderful mystery author.”
*****
Aimee Kluck, author of “Topanga Canyon.”
“Living outside LA, we helped families as we could during / after the fires. When this opportunity came along, to further support the people impacted, I wanted in. My story was started during the Malibu fires last year. Always intrigued by noir, I chose to add that element to my story. Margot was wonderful to pull this together and a joy to work with. This is an anthology of which we can be proud.”
*****
Hey, readers, here’s a reminder that LAXtras is our title. Do something heartwarming and buy the book! Then, because Christmas is around the corner, buy copies for your friends…
Thank you, authors, who shared pieces of yourselves and your stories. As I hold this beautiful book in my hands, with its vibrant cover and sparkling organization, marveling at the sheer heft of it, I’m salivating with anticipation, SO ready to see how you realized your criminal visions in this sprawling city.
