Guest Profile

Catherine Asaro

Catherine Asaro is a Nebula Award-Winning author of science fiction and fantasy. May 2009 saw the publication of her twenty-fourth book, Diamond Star (Baen Books). In April 2009, Starflight Music released a companion music CD, also titled Diamond Star, that offers readers a soundtrack for the book. The songs are performed by Point Valid, a vibrant young rock band from Baltimore, with Catherine as guest vocalist.

As the latest in Asaro's novels of the Ruby Dynasty, Diamond Star tells the story of Del, the renegade prince who would rather be a rock singer than sit on the throne. The royal family wants him to stop, his friends want to use him, his label wants to own him, and his enemies want to kill him. Del just wants to sing -- without starting an interstellar war.

Point Valid has performed selections from Diamond Star at science fiction conventions, with Catherine as a guest vocalist, including venues such as the 2008 Balticon, where their panel on rock music in sf was one of the best attended new panels at the con. In the summer of 2008, Catherine was the Guest of Honor at Trinoc*con, and Point Valid came with her as featured musical guests, where they did panels and a concert.

After Point Valid dispersed for the school year, off to college in different parts of the globe, Donald Wolcott joined the Diamond Star Project. An accomplished pianist in jazz, rock, and classical music, he performs in a jazz-oriented duo with Catherine, accompanying her vocals. Together they do works from the CD and covers of jazz and pop songs by such artists Nora Jones and Sade.