The Lost Gods (26 page)

She leaned over her friend Emily's shoulder as Emily goggled at the cover of
ICE
magazine.

FREYJA WHY PLUMP IS THE NEW THIN

Big girls rule now that fashion goddess Freyja leads the pack! Model agencies have dumped all skinny girls who refuse to gain two stone, in an effort to copy the new beauty standard
pioneered by Nordic goddess Freyja. With fashion designers now only hiring girls sized 16 and over, the catwalk revolution in female beauty shows no sign of stopping.

Well, that's something at least, thought Freya, flipping to a double-page spread: M
EET THE
N
EW
M
ODELS
J
OSTLING FOR
F
REYJA
'
S
C
ROWN

Her phone vibrated. Veronica. What did
she
want? Since the Gods had returned to Asgard, Veronica had vanished from her life.

‘Ah Freya, I have the most
thrilling
news,' said Veronica, as if they had just spoken yesterday. ‘Just what you've always wanted.' Freya could picture Veronica at her desk, checking emails and flicking through newspapers while she talked. ‘I've had a call from the producers of
FAME: Make Me a Star
and they want YOU on next year's programme. Yes, you. Isn't that exciting? You're sure to be a huge favourite with the public, and that will vastly increase the money we can get when we sell your story. You'll be famous, honey. Famous. Famous. Famous. What a back
story you have:
everyone
will vote for you. Freya? Are you there, Freya?'

Freya was silent.

‘I'm not surprised you're speechless, darling. Do you need a moment to think?' said Veronica. ‘Don't take too long – an offer like this comes—'

‘No,' said Freya. ‘I've thought. I don't need worshippers. I don't want anyone's vote. I'm fine as I am.'

All writers get stuck, and all writers need good advisers. I'm particularly fortunate in having so many great ones. I'd like to thank my lovely writer friends Joanna Briscoe, Steven Butler, Cressida Cowell, Joanne Harris, Meg Rosoff and Owen Sheers for their generous encouragement, support, and emergency consultations. I'd especially like to thank Steven for his gleeful help with the battle scenes.

I'd also like to thank Dr Emily Lethbridge for taking time out from poring over Norse manuscripts and hurtling down Icelandic crevasses for our many breakfast meetings. And no book ever happens without my agent,
Rosemary Sandberg, and the home team, Joshua Stamp-Simon, Martin Stamp, and Shanti.

The amazing people at Profile and Faber – Andrew Franklin, Niamh Murray, Cecily Gayford, Stephen Page, Catherine Daly, Donna Payne, Lucie Ewin (who let me choose the typeface!), Laura Smythe, Leah Thaxton, Rebecca Lee, Rachel Alexander, Susan Holmes and Diana Broccardo make writing a joy, as does working with my brilliant illustrator, Adam Stower.

Three books I found particularly helpful while writing
The Lost Gods
were H.R. Ellis Davidson's
Gods and Myths of Northern Europe
; Andy Orchard's
Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend
; and Gavin Esler's
Lessons From the Top
.

It's always more wonderful to have written than to write, but I'd like to thank Sally Gardner for reminding me about the value of the journey, whatever the outcome.