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Betty Viamontes is a multi-award-winning Cuban American author whose acclaimed novels, nonfiction, and short fiction explore resilience, family, immigration, identity, and the enduring search for freedom. Many of her award-winning novels are inspired by true events, blending historical authenticity with compelling storytelling that has earned literary awards, Amazon bestseller recognition, and an international readership.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Betty emigrated to the United States at the age of fifteen during the Mariel Boatlift. She escaped Cuba aboard a shrimp boat on a harrowing night when many families perished at sea. Despite a childhood marked by trauma and hardship, she built a successful career in corporate America before dedicating herself to writing and nonprofit work.
Betty is the author of numerous novels, nonfiction works, and a short story anthology. Her debut novel, Waiting on Zapote Street, inspired by true events, received the Latino Books Into Movies Award and was named one of the Top Ten Books of 2016 by the Latino Author website. After being selected by a United Nations women's book club and several other book clubs, it became an Amazon bestseller and has reached #1 Amazon Bestseller status three times. In 2023, the screenplay adaptation was nominated for the Toronto Film and Screenplay Awards, introducing the story to an even broader audience. Both Waiting on Zapote Street and its sequel, The Dance of the Rose, have been featured in numerous publications, including the Spanish edition of the Miami Herald.
Her novel Brothers: A Pedro Pan Story received the 2022 International Latino Book Award for Best Fiction, while After They Left, the companion novel to Waiting on Zapote Street, earned the 2024 Latino Books Into Movies Award (LBIA). Like Waiting on Zapote Street and The Dance of the Rose, After They Left is inspired by true events and may be enjoyed as either a standalone novel or as a continuation of the award-winning story.
Several of Betty's books have achieved Amazon bestseller recognition. The Girl from White Creek, based on a true story, became a #1 Amazon New Release, as did The Pedro Pan Girls: Seeking Closure, Brothers: A Pedro Pan Story, Orchids in the Shadows: Between Darkness and Light in Cuba, and After They Left. In 2023, she also published Crossing North: Tribulations of a Cuban Doctor, a compelling nonfiction account of a Cuban physician's twelve-year journey to freedom through the U.S.-Mexico border.
Betty's writing has appeared in newspapers and literary publications, including the prestigious The Mailer Review at the University of South Florida. She holds two master's degrees from the University of South Florida—in Accounting and Business Administration—and a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing. Through her writing, Betty preserves the stories of the Cuban exile experience while celebrating the resilience, hope, and courage that transcend generations.
Selected Works
Novels
Waiting on Zapote Street (based on true events) — Latino Books Into Movies Award
The Dance of the Rose (based on true events)
After They Left (based on true events) — 2024 Latino Books Into Movies Award (LBIA)
Brothers: A Pedro Pan Story — 2022 International Latino Book Award, Best Fiction
The Dreams We Carry (based on true events)
A Girl Named Polina
Orchids in the Shadows: Between Darkness and Light in Cuba
Havana: A Son's Journey Home
Nonfiction
Crossing North: Tribulations of a Cuban Doctor
The Girl from White Creek (true story)
The Pedro Pan Girls: Seeking Closure
Short Story Anthology
Candela's Secrets and Other Havana Stories
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