HERA: Kingdom of Lies Blog Tour

Title: Hera: Kingdom of Lies

Author: Betsy Ellor
Genre: Fiction: women’s/historical/ fantasy
Publish Date: January 20, 2026
ISBN: 9798274299466
Formats: Paperback, eBook

Blurb: Before Olympus, Hera ruled – until Zeus claimed the throne and trapped Hera in a marriage designed to silence her power. Instead, she built a new order, raised a son, and refused to break.

This origin story of Greek mythology told from the perspective of its chief ‘villain,’ weaves gods, nymphs, dragons, sex, lies, and strategy into a fierce new legend.

Hera: Kingdom of Lies combines the social and political maneuvers of Scandal with the mythic, villain-redemption of Circe.

Rich with betrayal, desire, and divine intrigue, this origin story of Greek mythology told from the point of view of its chief villain weaves gods, nymphs, dragons, sex, lies, and strategy into a fierce new legend. Hera: Kingdom of Lies combines the social and political maneuvers of Scandal with the mythic, villain redemption of Circe. Here’s what it’s about:

Before the gods came to be.
Before humankind was imagined.
Before Olympus was more than mist on a desolate mountain — Hera reigned.

When the war hero, Zeus, takes power and moves Hera’s statues aside to make room for his own, the queen of heaven must find her place in a new order. At first, drawn in by Zeus’ charm, she quickly realizes she wants no part of life with this petty, egocentric dictator. When she refuses to marry him, what began as seduction becomes a snare. Trapped into marriage, Hera learns that power can still be forged through cunning, seduction, and unexpected alliances. But after she gives birth to the God of War, her influence begins to crumble — and his lust threatens to tear the kingdom apart.

Who is the Goddess of Marriage, if she’s bound to a husband who defiles every vow?
Who is the Goddess of Motherhood, if she’s raising a child, the world misunderstands?
What kind of goddess is she willing to become to protect her people and her child?

Here’s what readers are saying:

• “Rooted in myth yet pulsing with modern fire, Hera: Kingdom of Lies is a reimagining of a classical tale, one that honors a woman’s rage, her love, and the power she claims for herself. A retelling made for contemporary women.” — Bobbi Lerman, founder and editor, Scribblers Ink

• “A classical tale beautifully told, ringing out modern, universal, and feminist chimes.” — Jim DeFilippi, author of Duck Alley, The Mules of Monte Cassino, and host of the podcast Blue Ink and Black Smoke

• “Jealous, vengeful ….these are the characteristics traditionally assigned to Hera, wife of Zeus. In Hera: Kingdom of Lies, Betsy Ellor turns tradition on its head, revealing a woman who, facing heartache and betrayal, discovers the power she holds within.” – Susanna Baird, editor, Five Minutes

Hera: Kingdom of Lies

Price Disclaimer

Cut the Should By Betsy Ellor

I should‘ve finished this article a week ago. Just like I should drink less coffee, I should start a daily core workout, and I should actually read all the books on my TBR shelf before buying more (Ha! Like that’s ever gonna happen!). All day long, my brain bombards me with things I should be doing for my:

• Family
• Friends
• Fitness
• Career
• Community
• Mental health
• Pets
• Garden
• House
• Wardrobe
• And on and on and on.

. . . Phew. I need to lie down just listing it all. My brain is forever clogged with a steaming pile of should.

Years ago, I was rattling off a list of these worries to my therapist when she stopped me: “Is someone going to die if you don’t post on Instagram each day? Will you go to jail if visitors have to climb over piles of toys in your Living Room? Will your family be run out of town if you don’t participate in the school bake sale?” After I shook my head, she said, “Good, then stop shoulding all over yourself.”

In shock, I said, “But I want to do all these things. They’re worthwhile. They will make me happy.”

To which my very patient therapist asked, “Will the happiness they bring outweigh the miserable feeling of carrying around a giant pile of should?”

The answer, dear reader, is no. As I began to decline doing things I was only doing because I ‘should’ do them, I started feeling lighter. When I started pausing my brain each when it scrolled a list of shoulds, I discovered things around me I’d been too busy to notice before. I shoveled out from under the shoulds, and in the clear, fresh air, there was room in my head for my creativity and deeper happiness.

To stop myself from shoulding, I use my own patented and very mature technique. First, I picture a poo emoji falling toward me every time I say or think the word ‘should’. Then I decide if I want to catch it or step out of the way. It’s ridiculous, but it makes me laugh and helps me keep things in perspective.

My To-Do List app does a little confetti burst when I cross things off. Guess what? If I add a project I should do to my list, and I do it. I get confetti. If I cross it off because I decide I’d rather do something else? I still get confetti. That’s not cheating. I still took care of it. I just took care of it by deciding it was important enough to spend time on. That’s a valid way to complete something, too. NO GUILT and NO SELF-JUDGEMENT.

Goals are meant to pump you up, not weigh you down. If you are forever whipping yourself for stuff you should be doing but aren’t, all you’ll end up being is beaten down. Should is the nastiest word in the English language. If you want to feel lifted up instead of crushed, start by cutting the should.

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Betsy Ellor’s latest novel, Hera: Kingdom of Lies, is the origin story of the Greek gods as told by mythology’s favorite villain. Hera’s story honors the goddess in all of those struggling to balance leadership, motherhood, marriage and impossible societal expectations. Betsy is also the editor of the anthology Heroic Care, author of the picture book, My Dog is NOT A Scientist, and scribbler of articles and stories for various outlets, including Spine Magazine, 5 Minute Lit, The Creative Collective and many more.

About the Author

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