Elora Canne

“Road-trips and relationships, what could possibly go wrong?”

This issue, I am featuring Elora Canne, an author, who I met at my favourite FB group, We Love Memoirs. She also manages a community of non-fiction writers at instagram called Nonfiction Network.

Doing road trips with my husband, is on my bucket list and Elora published a book about a road-trip with her husband which started out as a one-year travel holiday. Quoting Elora, “But it soon became clear that we were learning more about each other, more rapidly than we had in our, then, 25 years together – hence road-trips and relationships.”

Check out my interview with her below.
Elora Canne, Author

Tell me about yourself:  I’m a retired Childcare Educator after 20+ years in the industry. Initially, I thought I’d work in a quiet café, since I’d done the barista training 3 times over the years, but, of course, COVID happened, and the café industry suffered. I’ve since never gone back to work and have happily embraced the writing life. I also have a new-found love of paddle boarding on the lake, plus volunteering gives a sense of purpose to my days. I volunteer at our local cat rescue centre and on our local reserve to help control erosion of our foreshore. My husband and I are empty-nesters and live with our fur baby Maisie Moonlight, a Ragdoll kitty.  

Synopsis of your book in one sentence? EN ROUTE: The Best is Yet To Be – road trips and relationships, what could possibly go wrong?  

Is this a series? Yes and no. I have written a journal-style dating diary for couples who have been together for a while. It is based off my own experiment in my marriage and flows from the end of my memoir but doesn’t classify as a series.  

What genre do you write in? I write from my own life experiences, so nonfiction, specifically memoir.  

What inspired you to write your book? My husband and I took a midlife gap year to travel the world, but while we were travelling, we discovered so much about each other that was unexpected. I just had to write it all down. 

What message did you want your readers to take from your book?  I realised our findings could show other long-term couples that there really is hope for better times ahead. That’s why I included an excerpt of Robert Browning’s poem in my book: Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be.  

What’s the most challenging aspect of writing for you? Knowing how much personal information to include is my biggest challenge. Although I write nonfiction, there can also be ‘too much information.’ 

The most rewarding aspect of writing? Self-awareness and personal growth have been my greatest rewards of writing about real-life.  

Are you currently working on a book at the moment? I’m writing a more light-hearted book about midlife relationships at the moment, the working title is ‘Love and Laughter (And other disasters)’.  

If yes, how many hours do you write in a day? For me, it’s not about hours in the day of writing time, but more about the number of days per week that I write, which is 3.  

If you are not writing, what are you doing? On my non-writing days, I’m paddle boarding, walking, volunteering and reading, lots of reading.  

What would you advise emerging Indie authors?  My advice for aspiring indie authors is to just write it all down, then refine your work once it’s all on the page.  

What do you do for marketing? Social media, particularly Instagram, is my marketing go-to. I have a close-knit community of nonfiction writers in a network that I started as a hashtag. It’s called Nonfiction Network and has rapidly grown into a rewarding community of nonfiction writers. I’ve also joined like-minded groups on Facebook, such as ‘We Love Memoirs’ and other avid-reader groups.  

If you could tell your younger writing-self anything, what would it be?  Use your voice, speak up and don’t give up.  

What does your typical day look like? Each day starts and ends with a bit of reading. In between, I’m either hustling the housework, or hassling my husband! Just kidding, he works full-time from home so I make sure we have all our meals together, and the rest of my day is equally idyllic. If I’m not actively pursuing a writing or volunteering project, I love to potter in the garden, try new recipes (I ‘try’ to grow my own herbs), and go for walks amongst the trees, love them. 

What does your writing workspace look like? Hm, I have two dedicated writing spaces, one is a desk/study area sectioned off in our bedroom, the other, I call my Rustic Writers Shed. It is an outdoor tin shed and is not sealed but I have a fold-out table and camping stool that I enjoy using occasionally. However, I invariably find myself working in our sunny sunroom!  

What are you reading right now? I’m a multi-reader. I always have a slow-burn on the go which is currently Prince Harry’s ‘Spare.’ I also always have an ebook and paperback going. Currently those are, ‘A Year on Land and Sea’ by Stephen Malins, and ‘Mimi Lee Cracks the Code: A Sassy Cat Mystery’ by Jennifer J. Chow. 

If you were a fruit or a vegetable, what would you want to be and why? I’ve decided I’m Nana Banana this year because that’s how my youngest grandchild says ‘Nana.’ 
Check out my 5 Star review for ‘En Route, The Best Is yet to Be’ as posted in Amazon, GoodReads and BookBub here below.

EN ROUTE: The Best Is Yet To Be.

I really enjoyed Elora Canne’s book, ‘EN ROUTE: The Best Is Yet To Be’. It’s riveting and Honest! First off, I love traveling. When I was reading this book, I felt like I was on a journey, living vicariously through her. I loved her introspective proses and attention to detail. It made me feel as though I was along for the ride. I could really experience the scenery; all my senses were engaged. Elora has a keen mind. I love her deepest thoughts, her questions, and her point of view. Even though we are from very different cultures, her thoughts were still significant and arresting. The indelible human element was present throughout the book, and these are common to us all. This is not just a travel book but a book about traversing relationships as we go through different phases in our lives. Thanks Elora for sharing your insights about life, love, and family. I highly recommend ‘EN ROUTE: The Best Is Yet To Be’.
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