RT Convention Update

Five of the Buzz Girls are loose in LA -- oops, that sounds bad!  But we really are at the RT convention, sponsored by RT Booklovers Magazine.  The event culminates with a massive Teen Day event on Saturday!

Here I am with Dona, decked out for Melissa de la Cruz's awesome dinner party for YA authors at her home here in LA.  Not only does fabulous Melissa have a to-die-for home, but she's also got the cutest husband and kids ever. 

And, the guest list was extraordinary!  From Melissa Marr (hard-working organizer of the RT-Con Teen Day Event on Saturday) to Alyson Noel and Carrie Ryan, there were interesting YA authors filling ever square foot.  We ate, drank, and wrapped ourselves (ok, I did) in cozy blankets, hanging out on her deck until well past dark.

Here is Buzz Girl Tera with Sophie Jordan (Firelight) and debut author Josephine Angelini (Starcrossed).  




It was fun to hear about all the new books coming out, and to talk about the state of the industry in general.







 
Here are Marley and Dona with the aforementioned YA goddess Alyson Noel, who is not only a great writer, but is also super sweet.

Here are Tina and Dona, I think right after the red velvet cake and chocolate mousse cups arrived.  See those satisfied smiles?  The food was really, really yummy!

But, around one AM we were hungry again, so we went up to Marley and Tina's room to order in some snacks. 

Marley's holding up the fruit, but we really ate turkey burger and grilled cheese.  All this writer talk makes us hungry, obviously!

Although we're missing our bee sisters Wendy and Steph a ton, we're having a great time so far.

Hugs,

Heather
www.heatherdavisbooks.com

Immortal? You Betcha!

Immortality is such an intriguing notion: Living Forever and Ever and Ever. It's a characteristic you'll find in many myths and legends, whether a mythological god/goddess, vampire, faerie or other creature who never dies. It's a theme that shows up in a plethora of literature, whether ancient, like the Epic of Gilgamesh, or modern, like Alyson Noel's best selling YA series, The Immortals.

It's also something that a certain animal has accomplished, a creature we can see with our own eyes and is the subject of many excited scientists' studies. Meet Turritopsis nutricula, an amazing little (5 mm) jellyfish. It hails from the Caribbean but scientists predict it will someday inhabit every ocean. What's so fascinating about this little guy is while most jellyfish die after propagating, Turritopsis nutricula goes back to a polyp stage.

So it grows to maturation, propagates, and then turns back into a juvenile! This isn't to say that they never die; but they don't need to die and therefore have the potential to be immortal.

Cool, huh? Until they take over the world, that is! :)

Have you made or stumbled upon a recent scientific discovery that many of us might not know about? If so, please share!