Meet an LK Editor: Toni Rakestraw

Can I get a #woop?! I want to welcome Toni Rakestraw, just one of our awesome LK Editors, to the LK Blog Roll! Toni has been editing for over 15 years in one capacity or another. She has worked on websites, magazines, documents and her favorite, books. She has been published in several magazines and recently co-authored a novel called Titanic Deception with John Rakestraw.

LK: Do you have a day job?

TR: My day job is freelance editing. I edit fiction manuscripts mostly, but I have delved into poetry, websites, correspondence, contracts, and more. As a freelancer, my day begins early and ends late. I squeeze as much into a day as I can to support my family. It’s a good thing I enjoy editing!

LK: What was your favorite scene?

TR: Oh, hard one here. I think my favorite scene in Titanic Deception was the one between Alice and Lord Pirrie, when he visits her after the Senate inquiry. She finds Tom’s watch and tries to give it to him, but after reminiscing about it briefly, he realizes Tom wouldn’t have given it to her without a good reason, and he hands it back. If only either one had thought to open it!

LK: Do you have an all time favorite book?

TR: It’s difficult to choose. I guess this honor would have to go to The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. While I have many other books I love just as much, this is the only one I used to read on an annual basis. It spoke to me on so many levels.

LK: Morning person or night owl? 

Oh definitely a night owl. We homeschool, so our poor kids are on our schedule, too. We usually stay up until midnight or later working, winding down, or discussing the next plot point.

LK: What piece of advice would you give to your writers or clients?

TR: Learn the craft of writing. Writing good, effective sentences doesn’t just happen, it must be learned. Telling a good story takes practice. Every book needs to be edited, no matter who you are.