In Orange Mint and Honey, Nina Simone watches over Shay, acting as a a straight-talking Glinda the Good Witch guiding her toward her truth. Nina and Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Mildred Bailey and Etta James are Shay's spiritual mamas, their wise words and soulful melodies the only guidance she ever had.
While I wrote Orange Mint, I kept a framed picture of Zora Neale Hurston above my desk. She wears a cool black fedora and looks down at me--guiding me toward my truth. Don't believe me? The agent I signed with for Orange Mint manages Hurston's estate.
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