By Jae-Ha Kim
Tribune Content Agency
September 29, 2015
A New York Times bestselling author, Karin Slaughter’s latest book is the thriller, “Pretty Girls” (William Morrow, $27.99). “Since all of my stories are set in Georgia, I don’t have to travel far to write about how beautiful the state is,” says the 44-year-old Atlanta resident. “The mountains, the shore, the piedmont — they’re all ripe for wonderful descriptions.”
Fans interested in meeting Slaughter may check out her website for local book signings. She also interacts with fans on her Facebook page.
Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?
A. For the last two years, I’ve gone to St. Martin in the Caribbean with a group of friends. We rent a house on Baie Rouge and just sit around and talk and eat and read and eat again and nap and eat and read again and then we go to sleep and get up the next morning and do the same thing all over again.
Q. To someone who was going there for the first time, what would you recommend that they do during their visit?
A. Gosh, I’ve never really left the house except to go to the Dutch side (St. Maarten) and sign some books at this cute little store they have there. One thing that happened on the way to the store was I passed the cruise ships parked in the bay and they were so enormous that my jaw literally dropped open. I have this weird thing about really large stuff, like once there was a photo on the cover of a Lands’ End catalogue of a Russian ice breaker with a tiny woman standing beside it and I would just look at it and sweat. Anyway, on the way back from seeing the ginormous ships, I came across this little house that billed itself as a museum. They had some memorabilia from when Queen Beatrix visited and the docent was very surprised that I recognized her photograph, but I kind of cheated because I’ve actually seen her in person, but from a distance because she is the queen and I am not.
Q. What untapped destination should people know about?
A. Atlanta! I mean — more than the airport, because everybody has seen the airport. I really love it here. There’s so much history and there’s a lot to do and the restaurants are amazing and I highly recommend the Segway tour. I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s an amazing tour that gives you insight into so many parts of the city, plus they let you stop for popsicles from King of Pops, the most awesome popsicles in the entire known world.
Q. What was the first trip you took as a child? And did you love it … or not so much?
A. Since I grew up in Georgia, every trip we ever took for vacation was to the Florida Panhandle, aka the Redneck Riviera. These were miserable trips as I, the youngest of three girls, had to sit on the hump in the backseat the entire six-hour journey, trapped between my two sisters who would not let me breathe on them, look at them or think about them. My dad did not like to stop for anything, so there was occasionally a case of uremic poisoning, which was only lessened by the sensation of the skin on the back of our legs ripping off onto the vinyl seats. Then, of course, as soon as we got to the beach, I would step out of the car, immediately get third-degree burns, break out into a rash, spike a fever and have to spend the rest of the trip lying on my stomach in a dark room while my family had a great time at the beach.
Q. What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A. That my dad can hold a cigarette in one hand, a drink in the other and still somehow manage to drive a car while slapping the fire out of our legs for fighting with each other. Oh — and as an author touring — I’ve learned that you can always buy toothpaste when you get there. The name on the tube might be different, but the logo will be the same. It’s amazing how interconnected the world is. I have literally bought Aquafresh in Dubai, even though the words were in Arabic, because I recognized the wavy white-and-blue gel on the label.
Q. Have you traveled to a place that stood out so much that you felt compelled to incorporate it into your work?
A. I do find that when I’ve done something unusual on a trip, like swim with the sharks in Australia or sit in a sauna in Finland, then jump naked into the iced-over Baltic, that it has given me an appreciation for the comforts of home. Nothing makes you love fried chicken and a warm biscuit even more than eating limp meat from a roadside stand in Croatia.
Q. What are your five favorite cities?
A. Atlanta, Amsterdam, London, Helsinki, Auckland.
Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A. Books, whether they’re on my reading device or not. My skin care products because I’m sensitive to everything. Lots of water. And I have the way coolest travel chargers that were ever invented. I like to fly seat 3C on Delta when I go overseas because no one has to crawl over you to get to the bathroom. Also, the plane will go down if I don’t get that seat, so there’s no way I can trade with anybody even if they just got married and want to sit together, so don’t even ask.
Q. What would be your dream trip?
A. At least three months in Australia and New Zealand so that I could really see all those things I’ve missed when I’ve been before. Flying over the islands of New Zealand is like being inside “The Lord of the Rings.” It’s so verdant and magnificent. Anyone who has seen the movies should know that nothing was enhanced. That’s really how it looks. Fun fact: New Zealand has its own internationally recognized breed of sheep dog. Because the grade is so hilly, the dog responds to voice commands rather than sight commands.
Q. What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A. Subway. Am I the most disappointing world traveler ever? I have a lot of allergies, so mostly I spend my mealtimes overseas praying I won’t go into anaphylactic shock. I lost five pounds the week I stayed at Raffles in Singapore. There’s something called Koan Float in Amsterdam where you float around in an isolation pod, then you can get a massage. That’s always relaxing to me — that sense of floating in the warm water in total silence. The facility is right beside the Hotel Ambassade, which is also a lovely hotel and I always try to get a float in when I am touring.
Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A. I’d like to see Norway. It’s the only Scandinavian country I haven’t visited, if you don’t count Iceland. I hear Iceland smells of sulfur, so there’s that. Plus, they are all terrified of fairies. I’ve also always wanted to see Tasmania. I hear you can be in shorts in the morning and a have to wear a heavy wool parka at night and I can totally rock a parka. And also, I want to hear a Tasmanian Devil in person. I have only heard their recorded screams and I cannot describe the visceral feeling it gave me. The hairs on my neck shot straight up. I cannot imagine what it would be like to hear one in person—perhaps similar to looking at a tiny woman standing by a massive Russian icebreaker.
Q. Where is the most romantic destination?
A. St. Martin or anywhere in the Caribbean is always romantic, but I think so long as you’ve got the right person with you, you can make your own romance. I know I should probably say “Paris,” but it doesn’t feel that romantic to me. Maybe I’m missing something. Or maybe it’s because I have only toured there as an author, so most of my sightseeing was done from the back of a taxi. Well, not always. I do remember one time I took a motorcycle taxi because there was no way I could get to my next gig in the snarled traffic. I had this neat moment where I was sitting on the back of the bike at a light on the Champs Elysees, and the Arc de Triomphe was on my right, and the song “Low Rider” came on the motorcycle’s radio, and the driver and I were bobbing our heads to the song like two chillaxin’ homies.
Q. If you’ve ever gone away for the holiday, which was the best trip?
A. Never. I’m always working on a book that time of year!
Q. What are your favorite hotels?
A. My favorite is the Goring in London. I’ve been staying there for almost fifteen years and I love the people who work there. It’s near Buckingham Palace, but it’s on a one-way street so it’s very quiet. The minute I walk through the doors – held open by the footmen, one of whom is known for speaking only in rhyming couplets – I feel an instant calm overcome me. The rooms are beautiful, all done up in silk, and there are buttons for the lighting so you can set the mood; one is labeled “ooh la-la.” There are fake sheep everywhere. It’s nicknamed “The boring Goring,” though they insist that’s not why the sheep are there. The service is absolutely amazing. You want for nothing. Excellent club sandwiches. Beautiful dining room. I’ve been in the royal suite before and they have stationery engraved for your stay, so not only do you get to stay in a gorgeous suite of rooms, you get to brag about it to your friends back home. My second favorite hotel is the new Waldorf Astoria in Amsterdam. I suppose I always like the same things in hotels—that sense of calm from the moment you walk in – and, it must be said, a footman to open the door. I am big on footmen – and one of the best club sandwiches in Europe. Again, the service is impeccable. The restaurant downstairs is very good for people with allergies (fish! lavender! kiwi! Why do I ever leave the house?). They also have a wonderful garden with sculptures and flora and fauna, so at the front you have the Herengracht, which can be very noisy (especially when drunken Brits have their hen nights) and in the back you’ve got absolute tranquility. The interior is painted in a light blue—not delft, not powder, but just a chill kind of French library blue—and the carpets are very soft. I like a soft carpet. Especially if I am standing by a footman who is holding open a door for me. They also have real showers in the bathrooms, which I always like to have because my constant fear is that one day I will step into one of those ridiculously deep European tubs, break my neck and not be found until my publicist notices I have missed an interview.
Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?
A. I’ve been to Amsterdam so many times that it feels like home, though of course it’s very different there. I suppose it’s the people I am most drawn to. They’re very polite and interested in other people and they are proud of the Netherlands, so that resonates with me. There’s a part of the Netherlands called Friesland that reminds me of the American South, because they have their own language and culture and they are always threatening to try to secede. I also like Flanders. I can’t speak Dutch, but when you hear an Amsterdammer speak, it’s like they’ve got marbles in their throat. Indeed, Dutch is often called “a disease of the throat,” and a Flemish person sounds melodic by comparison.
Q. Where are your favorite weekend getaways?
A. I love going to the mountains anytime I can, which isn’t quite enough. I’ve had a cabin in Blue Ridge for over ten years and it’s been amazing to watch how things have changed over the years. This is good and bad, of course. A decade ago, you could walk down Main Street and find some good antiques and buy some homemade fudge, but now you have to park two streets over and walk ten blocks to get that fudge. The county was dry, except for meth, when I first started going up there, but a few years ago, liquor sales were approved and everything changed. Now there are some amazing restaurants and cool little businesses like an olive oil store, which is crazy because who can survive only selling olive oil, but the store is always packed so I think they know what they are doing. Alcohol changed everything. My father was instrumental in getting the law passed to allow alcohol sales, and he actually got death threats during the debate. This woman came up to him in the store and grabbed his shirt collar and screamed, “You’re going to hell!” My dad, ever cool and calm, replied, “At least I won’t be thirsty!”
Q. What are your favorite restaurants?
A. Casa di David in Amsterdam is lovely. They have cats! And if you are lucky, the cat will come sit in your lap. But, I’m gonna be honest here—I’ve hit a lot of Pizza Expresses in London. Also, Nando’s, which is great, and they’re in Australia and New Zealand, too. I was at the Melbourne Crime Festival and I’m sure my publicist wanted to kill me because we ate there every day for lunch for a week. I ate at Noma in Copenhagen, and they were such amazing people and it was an incredible experience, but I’m not sure if it bears repeating. Fine and fancy foods are such a waste on me. I am my father’s daughter. Give me a club sandwich and I’m pretty much good to go.
Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?
A. For work, I always look at crime reports because, when people say, “We’ve never had horrible crimes happen in Austria like you do in America,” I can say, “Well, actually, we know about Herr Fritzl…” I try to find out about what is important politically, what is going on with immigration (which is a hot topic all over the world) and what the local customs are. The thing is, when you are an author, you travel in a bubble. You don’t really get to interact with people as you would as a tourist, so I try to make sure I know something about the place I am visiting so we can talk to each other like regular people. If I’m going there on vacation, I don’t really look at anything ahead of time because I want to discover it all on my own.
Q. What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A. The best is the first really big vacation I took, which was to Montana. I stayed in this place called Papoose Creek Lodge (which I think has since closed). It was so luxurious because there was a chef who cooked whatever you wanted (club sandwiches!) and the staff would take you out fly fishing or horseback riding or hiking or whatever you wanted to do and they would do all the hard work and heavy lifting while I pretended that I was getting in touch with my ancestors and saying things to myself like, “Land, Katy Scarlett! It’s the only thing in the world worth fightin’ for!” Probably the worst vacation is when I bookended a trip around England between two events—one in London and one in Harrogate for the crime festival. I was so jetlagged I could barely make sentences, I whacked my head on a TV in Bath, I nearly crashed my car in Lower Slaughter, and by the time I got to Wales, I was wailing myself. And then I got to Scotland and walked into the Balmoral, where the footman led me to a beautiful suite, made reservations to have me pampered in the spa, and made me feel like a human being again. I know I should feel ashamed for loving hotels more than the fantastic cities they are in, but when you spend half your life traveling, you appreciate people who know that you are a big baby and just want a comfy bed to lie around in while you read.
© 2015 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
