Diary of a Blues Goddess

by Erica Orloff

A diary from a lifetime ago. A ghost from the past. And an infatuation long forgotten.

Wedding singer Georgia Ray Miller dreams of becoming a “blues goddess,” but her own doubts keep getting in the way. Besides, she’s got enough to keep her occupied, living in a huge haunted (former) brothel with her hippie grandmother, her surrogate boyfriend, Jack, and the Big Easy’s most infamous drag queen. Still, she can’t help being mesmerized by stories from an old blues pianist. When she discovers a diary from a long-lost aunt, she finds out the blues is truly in her blood.

But before Georgia gathers the courage to sing the Delta blues, she must first figure out the affairs of her heart. Does she remain in the comfortable relationship she’s found with Jack? Does she run off with the love of her life, a man from her past with a roguish reputation? Or strike out on her own? She thinks she has it all figured out, but the ghosts of the past have a way of intruding on the present….

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Ebooks, Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2003

About the author

"Erica Orloff is a native New Yorker, novelist, blogger, mother of four, chronic insomniac, alt-rock loving, voracious reader (and prolific writer) who has written over twenty novels across a number of genres and pen names. She currently lives in Virginia where she rarely sleeps, roots for the Yankees and the NY Giants, knits in her almost-never free time, herds worms with her six-year-old Pirate Boy, and tries to hold onto what little sanity she has left." (http://www.ericaorloff.com/about.html)

Reviews

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was 8 (before someone considers calling CPS, I found it when it got misshelved at the bookstore and nobody bothered to check my reading material. I was not given this by a pervy relative). I didn't understand half of what was going on, but I was enthralled. I have read Diary at least 40 times since then, and my affection for it has only grown as I get older and experience the same things Georgia is going through. Her heartbreak, abandonment issues, and general conflict over what to do with her life are all too relatable.

[Kate Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story hooked me from the first line. I gave to my sister as a present - only after I finished reading it myself. It was a fast and entertaining story that kept me entertained from start to finish.

[Rebecca Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up in the 1/2 price bin at Food Lion. Loving it already, set in New Orleans, drag queens and musicians....looks fun so far.

[Athena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book with a blues-y look at New Orleans!

[Karyn Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel about believing in yourself, taking chances, and finding true love. Georgia is a wonderful character who learns what she wants, goes out to get it, and leaves the reader smiling.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

My younger self must have really liked this book. It was one of those books that lives on your shelf and you've read more than once.

My (slightly) older self did not love this book. The characters are all stereotypes of everything you could possibly imagine. There is very little to feel while reading this book. We're told all these things from the main character, Georgia, but the author doesn't really let us see these. Rather than portray happiness or sadness through words, we're simply told someone is happy or sad. There is a lot of extra stuff in this book that contributes nothing, too much high school nostalgia and very little development.

If I hadn't, for some reason, thought this book was worth reading 3+ times, I would probably only give it two stars.

[Ilenia Toffanin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro molto tranquillo, senza colpi di scena e senza episodi degni di nota.
Molto piacevoli le descrizioni dell'atmosfera di New Orleans, accurate e sembra quasi di poterne respirare gli odori autentici.
Non è all'altezza degli altri della serie Red Dress Ink, in quanto molto meno ironico e senza la verve che contraddistingue gli altri romanzi.
L'unico punto di umorismo lo si ha grazie alla presenza di alcune drag queen che fanno da contorno alla protagonistra principale, anche se, con un ruolo un po' più di spicco, avrebbero reso il romanzo molto più accattivante.
Tutto sommato è stata una lettura piuttosto piacevole e senza dubbio poco impegnativa.

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Musicians, drag queens, a haunted former brothel, an old secret diary, all set in New Orleans... Georgia is a wedding singer who really wants to sing the Blues. She drifts from man to man while missing her dead mother and a father who disappeared years ago. Her grandma raised her in her haunted bothel, now called the Heartbreak Hotel. In it's many rooms lives friends who have suffered a broken heart and take care of one another.

[Tamara Mataya · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read this one. I LOVED the Red Dress Ink series, and was sad when they stopped the line.

This book in particular, I remember thinking that the book was WAY better than the blurb made it sound. It was sexy and interesting and great chick-lit (what some think of as a derogatory term, but I mean it with praise.) I'll have to re-read it again to see if it holds up to my memory of it!

[Scoyphenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given all of its quirky elements, I felt like this book should be less conventional than it was. It was fun and the characters were interesting, but sometimes they seemed like parodies of themselves . Not a bad read by any means, but it could have been greater than the sum of its parts and it wasn't.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. I think it's relaxing, something to read when you want to have fun without being too concentrate. I suggest it to all people who are still romantic and sometimes believe in spirits...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a super fast read and really entertaining. I enjoyed the story a great deal, though the writer seemed to throw in bold language at times that weren't necessary and didn't always go with the flow of the story - like on the last page.

[Kori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wedding singer living in a haunted (former) brothel with a drag queen dreams of being a blues singer. After finding an old diary, with a little ghostly intervention, she discovers that singing the blues is in her blood. Chick lit for sure.

[Charity · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me appreciate blues and jazz in a whole new way. The story itself wasn't really up my alley though.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book ITs a fun easy read - I read it twice!

[Marci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet little romantic tale. It's a feel-good book if there ever was one. I'm off to listen to some Etta James now.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book - makes you crave adventure and helps you to realize we all feel a lot of the same things on the journey through life.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun light book that involves New Orleans, drag queens, blues music, broken hearts and ghosts.

[Tye · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I had a hard time getting into this novel.

But, slowly I was sucked into the story.

I enjoyed it. I was actually very good.

[Melinda Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was all bordering on the edge of ridiculousness, but with the guise of "This is New Orleans" it just manages to get away with it.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Romance novels are just not my thing. Period. Trite, can't believe I finished it.

[Mel]

wonderful