Ruthless by Candice Pedraza Yamnitz – Book Review and Author Interview

The Storyteller Squad is excited to announce the publication of Candice Pedraza Yamnitz’s second Young Adult book! Keep reading to learn more about this thrilling novella and an interview about Candice’s future publishing plans.

Back Cover Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old assassin Cottia is desperate to leave behind the work she’s been forced into.

Her lord offers freedom in exchange for one last hit. The assignment is to start a war by killing a target during the Giddelian prince’s betrothal selection ceremony.

When the prince uncovers her identity, he offers her a new opportunity. Will his invitation grant her freedom from the notorious underlord?

My Review: 5 Magical Stars

“I wanted to wipe the blood from my hands and use my gift to heal.”

Ruthless introduces us to assassin Cottia and her desperate struggle to be free. This quick-paced, thrilling adventure, with a strong redemptive character arc will hold you captive. Themes of forgiveness and faith abound, and the slow-burn romance is perfection. Prince Ezer is 100% book-boyfriend material.

It was fun to dip my toes back into the Agata Sea and re-experience the Latin-inspired world Yamnitz created. This YA Fantasy prequel novella about how Beatriz’s parents met and fell in love made me want to reread Unbetrothed!

Author Interview with Candice Pedraza Yamnitz

Hi Candice! Congratulations on launching another book! Where did the idea for Ruthless come from?

Ruthless was meant to be a short paragraph or two to help me put together Beatriz’s mom’s backstory for my first book, Unbetrothed. It turned into a short story, and since I can’t write a short story, it turned into a novella series.

Please tell our readers more about your author journey. As a busy mom, how do you carve out time to write?

I started writing novels when I saw a gap in the market. YA books seemed to have more and more sexual content and the messages inside weren’t aligned with my value system. So, I started waking up early and writing. Now, I either wake up early or stay up late. Sometimes, I sneak in 10 minutes here and there during a break between homeschooling and homemaking.

We are excited about your upcoming Kickstarter for the sequel to Unbetrothed. Please explain what that all entails and how our readers can get involved.

Kickstarter is a way to bring a product to market. There are various costs involved in publishing including developmental edits, line edits, copyedits, proofreading, registering with the Library of Congress, ISBNs, and various other costs with bringing a book to market.

Since the question I get asked most from readers is “Is there a sequel to Unbetrothed?” I wanted to allow readers a chance to be a part of this project.

You can set up an account and follow me on Kickstarter, which will notify you when my Kickstarter goes live. Here is where you can follow me: Candice’s Kickstarter Link

When it goes live, readers get a chance to pay for a package. It’s like paying for a product in advance while helping the product come to market. Once the Kickstarter is achieved, there will be stretch goals. For instance, one of mine will be to produce an audiobook and pay for print costs. If a Kickstarter is not reached, the backers get their money returned.

My primary goal is to put less burden on my family’s finances while still producing a quality product for my readers.

Tell us more about your self-publishing journey. What tips can you give for those who are considering going this route?

I decided to indie publish because of two things. The Christian publishers aren’t taking on chapter books and my children are chapter book age. I wanted my children to enjoy the books I wrote for them.

With Ruthless, I wanted to give my readers another fun adventure since two years had passed since Unbetrothed was released. I’m still writing stories in this world and had felt like I couldn’t share them for one reason or another.

The biggest challenges for me are the many details that must be managed, the huge costs involved, and the emotional rollercoaster.

I love having control over how my books look and the final big decisions that get made.

My tips for aspiring indie authors are to measure the cost and stick to your budget no matter what. It’s easy to go wild with everything that must be done. After that, the next thing you must do is learn the market and how to reach your readers. Marketing is half the work of becoming an author. It’s an even bigger step for indie authors.

What other upcoming projects are you working on? Where can our Storyteller Squad readers connect with you?

Right now, I am working on a top-secret project with five other authors. If you love my current YA stories, this might be for you.

Two of my other manuscripts are out with publishers. One is also part of the Unbetrothed world and the other is a Christian dystopian.

Two other manuscripts are screaming at me to start them. One is also part of the Unbetrothed world and the other is a fantasy story formatted in a way I’ve never seen before.

If you’d like to connect with me, sign up for my author Newsletter. I share lots of great Young Adult book recommendations.

You can also keep up with me on Facebook and Instagram. (But, in case Meta crashes again, it’s best to sign up for my newsletter.)

Thank you, Candice! We wish you all the best with all your upcoming publishing plans.

Thank you in advance, dear readers, for supporting our Storyteller Squad authors. If you would like to purchase any of Candice’s books, please check out the links below.

To purchase a copy of Ruthless:

Amazon or Barnes & Noble

To purchase a copy of Unbetrothed:

Amazon or Barnes & Noble

To purchase a copy of Dear Mouse Princess:

Amazon or Barnes & Noble

To purchase a copy of Dessi & Ky Go Poof:

Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Want to read my previous interview with Candice? Click Here

Want to read my review of Unbetrothed? Click Here