An Interview with Josephine Lamont

Josephine Lamont is a Cuban-American author, living in Covina, California. She is a lover of all romantasy stories, and enjoys writing tales of strong women facing impossible odds and swoonworthy book boyfriends. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching ghost documentaries, camping, or hanging out with her family. Josephine loves connecting with her readers. Visit her at jlamontbooks.com.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I believe I was destined to write, though my journey to discovering that wasn’t easy. In kindergarten, I struggled with reading, which led my teacher to single me out in terrible ways that were emotionally abusive. She allowed my classmates call me names like “stupid” and “dummy,” and sometimes she’d keep me inside during recess as punishment for not mastering phonics. Once, she even told me my parents didn’t love me. Those experiences left deep scars and made me hate reading and writing for years.

But everything changed in third grade when a different teacher assigned a story using spelling words. I wrote about a boy searching for a ghost in an underwater shipwreck, which turned out to be a shark. To my shock, she loved it—so much that she showed it to the principal. For the first time, someone saw potential in me, and it sparked a tiny belief in myself.

In sixth grade, Harry Potter transformed me into a reader, and in seventh grade, an alternate ending I wrote to a short story made my classmates swoon. That moment, as well as the teacher who believed in my storytelling talent, inspired me to keep writing.

Over time, I realized the power of stories—to inspire, connect, and heal. Though my path began in struggle, it led me to write Dissent, a novel I hope will resonate with readers deeply and save readers the way books saved me.

As for authors and works that inspired me, I would say J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series helped me develop a love of reading. After that, authors like L.J. Smith, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Stephanie Meyers furthered my love for YA romance and inspired me to write my own stories.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

The inspiration for Dissent came from two places that couldn’t feel more different, but together, they formed the heart of the story. The first was Jenetta Penner’s Configured. Her writing was a lifeline for me. I was coming off a long reading hiatus—thank you, life with toddlers—and my husband gifted me a Kindle with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. After devouring The Hunger Games, I searched for another dystopian world to fall into and stumbled across Configured. It hooked me immediately. Her writing was so accessible and addictive, and her world was unique and immersive. When I found out she was an indie author, I was blown away. Here was someone out there writing the kind of stories I loved, and doing it her way. It lit a spark in me to try my hand at writing dystopian romance.

The second—and deeper—source of inspiration came from my family’s history as Cuban refugees. My grandfather was a rebel during the Cuban revolution, fighting against Fidel Castro’s regime. Growing up, I heard stories about the struggle, the losses, and the hope that kept them going. Those stories stayed with me, and when I began creating the world of The Dissenter Saga, I drew on them. The United Factions of America and the Dissenter movement were born from real-life rebellion, resistance, and survival. Even Raúl de la Puente, the dictator in the series, has shades of Castro’s oppressive rule.

Mara’s journey, while not a traditional refugee story, reflects those same elements of loss, survival, and hope. She’s ripped from her home and thrust into a world where her family is the enemy. She has to fight to survive, make impossible choices, and in the process, she finds love and the hope that things can get better. That’s where the emotional core of the story comes from: knowing that even in the darkest times, there’s still a way forward.

What I love about dystopian romance is how it allows us to explore the tough stuff—rebellion, oppression, war, even love in the middle of chaos—in a way that feels safe. Because it’s set in a fictional world, we get to dive into those heavy themes with a layer of separation, which makes it easier to process. And the romance? That’s where hope shines. Love is the thing that carries us through, even when the world is falling apart.

At its heart, Dissent is about self-acceptance. Mara’s journey is about embracing all of herself—the strengths and the flaws—and realizing she’s worthy of love, exactly as she is. That’s the message I want readers to take away. You’re enough, even when it doesn’t feel like it. You’re worthy of love, even when you don’t think you are. That’s the kind of story I wanted to write, and it’s what I hope resonates with readers.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

It actually didn’t take me long to land on the title. In the story, the rebels rally behind a motto: “Dissent, Resist, and Rise.” Early on in book one, there’s a pivotal moment when Mara sees this phrase scrawled in graffiti over one of her father’s political campaign posters. That scene whole scene is such an important moment for the entire series. I’d already planned for the series to be a trilogy, and as soon as I wrote that line, it just clicked. The motto wasn’t just a rallying cry for the Dissenters—it was the perfect blueprint for the book titles. It felt so fitting to let those three words guide the journey of the series, from rebellion to resistance to ultimate triumph.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Oh, this is easy! One of the ways I help myself write is by playing music that gives me the vibes I’m trying to create on the page. These are some of the songs I played over and over again, and would absolutely be a part of The Dissenter Saga soundtrack:

“Soldier” by Fleurie

“Breathe” by Fleurie

“Carry You” [featuring Fleurie]

“Man on a Mission” by Oh The Larceny

“Rise” by Tommee Profitt

“Sound of War” by Tommee Profitt

“Look After You” by The Fray

“I’ll Carry You” by Tommee Profitt

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

By trade, I’m actually a mental health therapist. Most of my career has been spent working with at-risk youth, foster kids, and low-income populations—people who’ve faced unimaginable challenges. I’ve worked with a lot of trauma, and I’ve seen firsthand the heartbreaking ways people can hurt one another.

That experience carried into The Dissenter Saga in a big way. On the surface, Mara’s life seems perfect—she’s the president’s daughter, surrounded by wealth and power. But as readers quickly learn, her reality is steeped in emotional and physical abuse. Her thoughts, motivations, and the way she navigates the world reflect the stories of so many kids and teens I’ve worked with over the years.

In many ways, The Dissenter Saga is a love letter to them—to anyone who’s ever been silenced, stepped on, or made to feel like they didn’t matter. It’s my way of saying, “You’re not invisible. You’re not alone. And you’re worthy of so much more.”

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I read A LOT of Jennifer L. Armentrout. She’s one of my favorite authors, and I just love her writing style.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

The Dissenter Saga was written with older YA and New Adult readers in mind, but honestly, most of my readers are like me—adult women, many with kids, who are just trying to steal a few minutes of peace in the chaos of everyday life. They’re looking for stories where women rise above their challenges, become their best selves, and fall in love in a way that feels raw and powerful.

At the end of the day, that’s what I want for my readers. I want them to close my books feeling like they’ve been on a journey, one that reminds them how strong they really are. I want them to feel inspired to embrace their true selves, flaws and all, and to know they’re absolutely worthy of love, happiness, and their own epic story.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.