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| Laura Childs |
What inspired you to create a book series around a tea
shop?
When I started writing the
Tea Shop Mysteries, 16 books ago, tea had just become super popular. Tea shops were popping up like errant
mushrooms and all sorts of new tea companies were appearing. It was the perfect storm and I figured a Tea
Shop Mystery might just catch on. (Lucky
for me, it did!)
When did you become a tea drinker?
I started out drinking garden
variety tea in Chinese restaurants. Then
I married my husband, who is a professor of Chinese and Japanese art. That led to many, many trips to China, Japan,
Taiwan, and Indonesia and, of course, lots of inspired tea drinking.
Do you have a favorite tea to drink?
I love Japanese green
tea. It has such a fresh, distinct
flavor – you can almost taste the earthiness in it!
I love the character of Drayton. Did you create him based on someone you
know? Where did he (as a character)
learn so much about tea?
Drayton just sort of came to
me as I was writing Death by Darjeeling,
the very first book in the series. It just felt like there should be an older,
wiser person hanging around the tea shop.
Someone who might have a stabilizing influence on all the craziness that
happens, but also someone who was a trifle bit disapproving and proper. That would certainly be Drayton!
The character of Drayton
lived in China with missionary parents and went on to work at a tea company in
London. He also graduated from the
Johnson & Wales culinary school in Charleston. You might say Drayton knows more about tea
than this author does!
Have you had the opportunity to see an eighteenth
century Chinese tea house? If so, what
was the experience like?
In Shanghai, I enjoyed tea
and dumplings at a tea pavilion in the Yuyuan Garden. It was built in the mid-1800’s. Of course, there are 3,000 other tea houses in
Shanghai, so the sipping is awfully good!
How do you create the tea shop recipes?
Some of them belonged to my
mom and my Aunt Lucille, others are recipes that I’ve collected over the
years. Of course, I always have a test
kitchen going for new scone recipes and my husband doesn't seem to mind one
bit!
You create detailed imagery for the tea ware in your
book. Do you have your own extensive
collection? If so, can you tell us a
little bit about your favorite pieces?
I have a few Shelley and
Royal Copenhagen teapots, but my husband, Dr. Bob, is the real collector. He has well over 100 Yi-Shing teapots. They are these adorable little brownish-purple
clay pots that are made in China. Many
are in the shape of gourds, pumpkins, tree stumps, and dragon heads. Some of his best ones date back to the 17th
century.
What has inspired you lately?
Well, I just returned from a
week in Carmel, California, so there was lots of beach walking and eating of
seafood. Also, I’m trying to write a
Hummingbird Inn Mystery series set in Carmel, so the trip was excellent
research. (Somebody has to do it!)
Do you have any personal tea rituals?
Just that I prefer really
fresh loose-leaf tea. Tea leaves are
absolutely destroyed by heat, humidity, sun, and time. They really only stay fresh for about a year.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
I’m a real thriller fan. John Sandford, Lee Childs, Michael Connelly,
that type of author. In fact, I’m writing
a new thriller series for Penguin Random House.
It’s the Afton Tangler Thriller series and the first book is Finders Creepers.
Thank you Laura for the interview! To learn more about the author you can visit her website here. Dont' forget to stay tuned for the book giveaway!
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