Sometimes the best way to know a person is by asking questions, where you can learn more about what makes them tick. Get to know Drayton with his answers below.

What’s your full name?
Drayton Algernon Conneley

How old are you?
Let’s just go with sixty-something, shall we?

What is your profession?
Tea sommelier at the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Previous to that I taught classes in hospitality and event management at the Culinary Institute of Charleston.

Who is your best friend?
Well, Theodosia Browning, of course. She’s the entrepreneur behind the Indigo Tea Shop and the one who relentlessly drags me into her crazy (often dangerous) binges of amateur sleuthing. Thanks to Theo I’ve endured hot air balloon crashes, jewel heists, bombings, haunted houses, art thefts, poisonings, motorcycle chases, wild bulls chasing me, and so much more. It’s amazing I’m still here.

Do you have cats, dogs, other pets?
Honey Bee, my King Charles Spaniel, is the love of my life. I found her wandering the streets of Charleston a few years back and took her in. Now we’re inseparable.

What town do you live in?
Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1670, Charleston is known for its pastel-colored antebellum homes, hidden alleys, surging harbor, elegant restaurants, and good manners. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

What type of dwelling do you live in?
I had the great fortune to purchase an historic brick home that once belonged to a Civil War doctor. After a good deal of remodeling and renovation (oh my, the money that required!) I turned it into what I consider a jewel of a home.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
Probably my library. It has a brick fireplace, French chandelier, leather easy chairs, antique Chinese carpet, and shelves (and I do mean shelves!) full of books. No digital devices here.

What’s your favorite meal and dessert?
I adore dining out and there are so many delightful restaurants in Charleston. Let’s just say I love the she-crab soup at Poogan’s Porch, the seafood cioppino at High Cotton, and the buttermilk pie at Hominy Grill.

Do you have any hobbies?
Too many. I collect books, oil paintings, French and British antiques, interesting teapots, and bow ties. I also have an ever-expanding bonsai collection which prompted me to turn my backyard into a Japanese garden complete with a small pond, groves of bamboo, and small bamboo pavilion.

What music do you listen to?
Classical music as well as opera. My favorite composer is Beethoven and the opera I most adore is Madame Butterfly.

What is your favorite color?
I love the color of the morning sky over Charleston Harbor when pink and blue clouds are gently gilded by the sun’s warming rays.

Are you a morning or night person?
I must confess I’m a little of both. I wake up fairly early and enjoy a cup of English Breakfast Tea to get me going. In the evening I enjoy reading, usually staying up far too late, then have to sip a cup of Chamomile Tea to ease me into sleep.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
Visiting an art museum, going to a concert or the opera, and helping stage a truly elegant high tea. It is not creepy-crawling someone’s home as Theodosia would have you believe.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
Probably A Spot of Tea and Me, just because my career has revolved around tea. I was raised in China, worked at the tea auctions in Amsterdam, and then became an accredited tea sommelier.

Are you an amateur or professional sleuth?
Neither! Like I said earlier, I keep getting dragged into all sorts of terrible murder mysteries that scare the bejeebers out of me.

What is a typical day in your life like?
I arrive at the Indigo Tea Shop around eight-thirty, brew a few pots of tea, then take a few minutes to relax and plan our day. Mornings are usually filled with customers who drop in for cream tea – that’s tea plus fresh baked scones with Devonshire cream. At lunch we often stage an event tea, such as a Book Lovers Tea, Mystery Tea, or Breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea. And if you read Peach Tea Smash, the brand new Tea Shop Mystery, you’ll find us staging a Regency Tea and a Chocolate Tea – both with very yummy menus!

My best to you all,
     Drayton Conneley

Peach Tea Smash, A Tea Shop Mystery Book 28
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: August 2024
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link

Murder at an Alice in Wonderland–themed event threatens to send Theodosia Browning through the looking glass in the latest entry in this New York Times bestselling series.

During the Mad Hatter Masquerade, a fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Opera on the grounds of the old Pendleton Grist Mill, Harlan Sadler, husband of Cricket Sadler, the chairwoman, is killed. He’s been hit in the head with a croquet mallet, and his body hung on the chains and paddles of the grist mill. Nobody can figure out why since Harlan was much beloved by everyone. It’s only after Cricket and Delaine beg Theodosia to investigate that she realizes the killer might have mistaken Harlan for his crazy son, Duke. After all, Duke is a slum landlord and recently injured a woman in a boating accident.

Includes delicious recipes and tea time tips!

About the author
Laura Childs is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. All have been on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. Find out more at laurachilds.com or on Facebook at LauraChildsAuthor.