Dear readers, tonight with us is the queen goddess of the ancient Greek pantheon, to tell us about adjusting to the world of the Roaring 20’s.

So, you grew up inside your father, Cronus’ stomach. What was that like?

What do you think it was like? It was awful. I spent my childhood uncomfortable, in darkness, with no company but my siblings. We all lived in a stomach with very little to talk about. But that was a long time ago, we’ve all put those dark memories behind us.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

I grew up in a stomach, and oddly the man who ate his children didn’t also eat toys for us. I would say that my favourite memory or moment was when Cronos swallowed a rock thinking it was Zeus. I knew when that rock fell that I had a sibling out there, it was a hope that made me and the others stronger.

What is it like being married to a mob boss? What do you do to support the family?

I keep prohibition going. I work with the stuffy old women of the anti-prohibition league. I keep the puritans fired up and keep prohibition in law. The last thing any of us want are for legal bars to be able to open up again, there’s too much money to be made in speakeasies. I also clean up Zeus’ messes. My husband has a wandering eye and I make sure there are no accidents that could come back and damage him or the family. Someone has to look after them.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

I wouldn’t call having my family subjected to constant attack an adventure. We’ve never been on the defensive before. We straddled the world as colossi for centuries. It’s been a radical change to have to fight to preserve what we have. To be honest the whole series of events is testing us all. We’re having to push past our limits like never before, and I had just got used to a life of relaxation. I guess that’s what immortality is: learning that nothing lasts forever.

What did you first think when you found out someone had attacked one of your speakeasies?

I was appalled. Of course, I was. We have been untouchable for years. No one dared set foot in Manhattan without our approval. This city was ours, we ruled it as we ruled Greece. To find out that some upstart little gangster was trying to take us down was appalling. I was ready for someone to serve me a head on a platter.

What was the scariest thing in your adventures?

Nothing scares me. I am a goddess. There were tough times, when I thought I might have become too human over the eons, but I once stood by the side of a king, ruling over a great civilization. I refuse to succumb to fear.

What is the worst thing about being married to a mob boss and god?

I have no control. Zeus is a ruler, a strong man of independent will. Being married to him for millennia is trying. Taking over a criminal empire boosted his ego more than ever. He fights battles he tells me nothing about. He takes lovers and thinks I don’t know. He lives a life separate from me, but still expects a loyal wife by his side when he needs me. It’s hard because I see a man who can throw lightening and control an entire city, and I yearn for that man to want me and most of the time he doesn’t. I cannot control that, and as a goddess I like control.

What is the best thing about it?

The respect, power, and wealth. I can have any fur coat I want. I can walk into any fine restaurant and be seated immediately. I can intimidate powerful men just with my name and family connection. I am a queen again, in all but official title. They may worship that Jesus fellow, but he’s not the one eating Caviar with a view of central park. I can go where I want, celebrate how I want, and command who I want. Who wouldn’t want that?

Tell us a little about your friends.

I’m thousands of years old. I gave up on making friends long ago. My family are the closest things I have to friends. There’re only the 12 of us left, the ones that lived on top of Olympus, the rest vanished a long, long time ago. My beautiful son Ares is the greatest of them all. He’s my rock, so strong and brave. I wouldn’t be on this earth without him. Then there’s my sister Demeter. She runs our farm where we make the moonshine. She’s so dependable and charming. I miss her a lot, thankfully humans are ingenious, and we have phones now. That’s made the distance bearable. Poseidon is my other brother and he’s a raging alcoholic sailor, as if there is any other type, but he’s my family. You learn loyalty growing up with no one else to rely on. I suppose that’s why I protect the whole family, even the children of Zeus’ flings. I made a commitment to keep us all together and to protect my husband. I will do that until the end of time.

Any romantic involvement?

None. I’m a loyal wife and I don’t take lovers. You couldn’t call my marriage romantic either, that would involve us saying pleasant things to each other which I don’t think is possible.

Whom (or what) do you really hate?

I’ve hated many people over my life but this mysterious killer torching my property and attacking my family has earned my wrath. I will never tolerate upstarts who see themselves as greater than they are. This man waging war in my streets, attacking my gangs, and trying to stop my family will die as I watch. If he doesn’t then there is something wrong with this world.

What’s your favourite relaxing pastime?

Art. I can walk around any gallery or museum for hours. I’ve been around for a long time and have gathered a pretty impressive art collection. Humans have the same creative spark as the gods, which is one of the things I like about you lot. Time slips by so fast and being able to see a moment, a truly great moment of human achievement, captured on canvas is beautiful.

What does the future hold for you?

I don’t want to stay in America anymore. It’s time for me to move on. I’m thinking of moving to Germany. It’s bee a few centuries since I was there, and the scenery is breathtaking. Plus, I’ve heard they do debauchery better than the gods there now so it should be the perfect place for an Olympian. But we’ll see. We’ve had a lot of structure recently, it might be nice to wander for a bit, feel that divine freedom.

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

I hated that I never met another god. We knew they were out there. We knew that there were gods ruling over Egypt, Asia, The North, The Americas, but we never met them. I want to gaze upon another Pantheon, because none stood as large as we did, or were as worshipped as we were. I want to see what all the fuss was about. So hopefully as I travel, I will find some other gods to interact with.

James Morley is a British based author releasing his debut novel in 2021. He is a lifelong fan of fantasy fiction and is passionate about creating work that lives up to the legacy of the genre and provides escapism for those who need it. He is inspired by mythology, history, and whatever else happens to be going on in his head. James is a passionate advocate of the LGBT+ community and ensures all his work represents this community in some way, though his work is not driven by a political agenda but by a desire to represent the wide range of humanity in fantastical and interesting situations.

You can meet Hera and the other Olympians on the pages of Club Olympus.

Join us next week to meet an ancient goddess getting used to a world of speakeasy and prohibition. Please follow the site by email (bottom-right) to be notified when the next interview is posted.

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