Rasheda Ashanti Malcolm
“It’s difficult to classify myself solely as a writer of romance, when in fact writing about women’s lives, and the complexities that has gone into making her that woman, entails a great deal more than romance.”
Runner up in the Saga Literary Prize
Swimming with Fishes
What a absolutely gorgeous day for a wedding. My youngest son tied the knot today, an Islamic ceremony. He’s the last of his brothers on my side to be married. I was certainly the proud mother of the groom, his Papa would be so proud - had he lived to see the day. #married #marriedlife #islamicwedding #motherofthegroom #proudmama #motherofthebride #auntieofthebride #summerwedding #papa #papamissing #love #inlaws #islam #islamic
The last time I saw this dude was in Ghana, in 1995 - how time flies. We ran into each other at the Emancipation Day event & forgot about social distancing for a moment for the pic. The event was largely peaceful & from what I saw, most people had a positive experience.
#chucks #emancipationday #free #freedom #longtimenosee #positivevibes #facemask #friends #hugs #ghana
@bribri81c - thanks for the challenge - I accept. You too are beautiful & smart, strong & fun to be around. You’re supportive to family & friends & I think you’re an awesome mummy. #challenge #awesomewomen #yoga #greenjuice
Hope you can see this - a small cluster of crystals, a gift from my editor, so I know signs are real - so thoughtful of her. She knows of my heartache, but let me not linger on it. I know life doesn’t always turn out how you plan it, just sometimes it turns out better. #life #lifeisgood #grateful #gratitude #crystals #healing #writing #reading #andthistooshallpass #twentyin2020authors #rashedaashantimalcolm #bestrong
My Sunday morning, I got invaded. 😂😂😂 You’ll have all read at one time, that my Sundays are lock-away writing days where I enjoy spending time with my super-power - my Writing. With my second novel now with the printers, my third coming along nicely and with a new & different writing project on the horizon, I count my blessings, which includes spending time with the grandchildren & being a #twentyin2020author
#family #familytime #familyfirst #familyiseverything #authorlife #lifeofanauthor #writersofinstagram #writer #lifeofawriter #twentyin2020authors #words
Encouraging reading books verses watching television, iPads or iPhones has been one of my challenges with my grandchildren. So when they come chill with me, we get into a routine of reading, reviewing (they tell me all about the story, what they liked the most & their favourite characters). When they watch their favourite programme, I get them to review it in the same way. It’s all about balancing. #geniuskids #bookloving #kidslovebooks #reading #readingtime #readforme #readforlife #myangels
First man I ever loved, who loved me back with unconditional love. You are missing from me, Daddy, you taught me that no matter who I love in life, I’ve got to love me more. You taught me not to get upset over people’s negative opinions of me, because it really isn’t my business what people think. You were my educator, my protector, and my childhood best friend, playing skipping with me, buying me my first bike, buying me a kitten, Topsy, so I could take care of her & understand responsibility, giving me weekly pocket money to introduce me to weekly budgeting, which I spent on comics & Toffees in a day, & still you topped me up daily. You told the second man I loved, the father of my four children, to love me, take care of me & for us to always respect each other, so our children would grow healthy values, morals & principles. You inspired my creativity, gave me my love of literature from your many stories about life in Jamaica - listening to radio dramas by your feet - how I miss you, my darling Daddy. #daddy #daddysgirl #daddydaughter #fathersday #fathers #firstmaniloved #firstmanilovedwasmydad #protector #childhoodfriend #writersofinstagram #authors #childhoodmemories #ilovemydaddy #neverforgotten
Lockdown has produced some creative talents. My granddaughters decided to produce their own talk show, The Ava & Aaliyah’s Show. They started by telling me they want to interview me about my book. #child #girlboss #journalists #broadcastjournalism #chatshow #talkshow #creative #creativegirls #author #rashedaashantimalcolm #writers #proudglammy
Covid-19 has changed a lot of things & the way we do things.This is me in the middle of a telephone meeting, outside in the sun, leaning against my car & my son takes the pictures, saying ‘this is the new normal after lockdown.’ I can live with this, there’s a kind of freeness & freedom that comes with it. I like.
#lockdown #meeting #telephonemeeting #newnormal #outside #outsideisfree #freedom #new
#georgefloyd #rip #allmothers #mothers #sons #blacksons #blm
Lockdown has meant more time spent writing & with family & I am thoroughly grateful for that time. It has been sad, because we lost a beloved to cancer, but the children have been equipping us with laughter. Jacob sees the white fluffy clouds in the sky & it registers candy to him - he wants a ladder to climb up to the clouds so he can get some of the candy 😂 I’m never short of creative ideas when children are around 🤣🤣🤣 #children #grandson #cloudsinthesky #candy #childsplay #childsimagination #creativethinking #writerslife
#blacklivesmatter✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 #blacklivesmatter #mylifematters✊🏾⚫️ #mylife #equality #justice #opportunity #fairness #onelove #callonlove #human #humanity #humanrights #protest #newgeneration
I was showing her some of my yoga 🧘♀️ moves, she showed me how it should really be done 🤣🤣🤣#grandchild #yogapractice #yoga #littlegirls #loveher #proudgrandma
I’m in rewriting after getting the edits of my second novel back. Writing to exhale. Lockdown has surly given me time to write & try out new writing processes. Instead of my regular place in the middle of my bed, I’ve written from my dining table and a favourite of my has become my back garden, especially given the good weather. Being a #twentyin2020 author, & with Covid-19 affecting everything, from our book launches to our author events, being able to connect via Zoom has been great for me, feeling less isolated. #timetowrite #editing #twentyin2020authors #twentyin2020 #writingtoexhale #stilliwrite #writingprocess #jacarandabooks #wordsofcolour #wordsmith #sunshine
Trying to distract myself from an aching tooth abscess, (see my swollen right cheek) I’m going to take a drive in the sunshine & blast my favourite music - walking didn’t work. I’m dressed in as much red as possible, my colleague tells me red absorbs pain. When I called my dentist, a voice message told me to cal 111 - I call them & they said they couldn’t help, Covid-19 means I can’t be seen. I pleaded & pleaded & was eventually able to get a prescription for antibiotics & painkillers, & from my Herbalist, the real hemp oil that made all the difference. #toothache #pain #painrelief #hemp #ganja #lockdown #freeme #painfree #red #ladyinred
Am still decorating (as U can c from my stocking cap, lol) in between writing in my garden on this glorious sun-filled day - and in between writing I’m sipping red wine - and in between sipping red wine, I’m trying to figure out one of life’s great mysteries - as you can see from the current book I’m reading. #sunnyday #redwine #writing #lifesmysteries #authors #forevergrateful
Driving in the sunshine 🌞 what a wonderful feeling, life is so precious, fragile, let’s live it, let’s learn from it and let’s give back. Music is the food of love, you know that saying, dance as though no-one is watching - I do it all the time, I sing too, you know, like in the shower, 😆 music inspires my writing, so does a drive or a walk in the sun. #driving #drivinginthesun #music #musicislife #writing #lifeisgood #lifeisbeautiful #lifeisfortheliving #lifeisfragile #forevergrateful
I’ve always been convinced that my creative space for writing is in the centre of my bed . . . Since lockdown, my dining table has become another of that place, especially when the sun lets off its golden glow and pours in. At this table I’ve been inspired to put another writing course together, ‘Still I Write,’ encouraging the writer in you to always write, no matter the emotions. #stilliwrite #placetowrite #writing #kitchentable #justwrite #iwrite
Love me a sunny 😎 day, vitamin D top up, sitting in my garden, different flavours added to my creativity & the feel of wall-wall sunshine, in my view, comes second to few things. My life has changed forever, a void has been left, a beautiful soul disappeared & we are left to embrace the changes, to create a new normal & live. I get in and out of journaling but for the past 52 days, I’ve journaled every day, pouring tears, grief & happiness, possibilities & new beginnings. It’s very healing & you’ll notice, like most of you, I crave therapeutic & healing activities during this time. Hope you love my African stool, it’s part of my feel-good tools, I bought it from a second hand shop, £15, a bargain 🙌🏽 I sit on it for 7 minutes before I start my daily writing ✍️ #embracingchange #vitamind #embracingthejourney #journaling #writing #lovelife #forevergrateful
Reading diversely is a big part of writing. As a writer of women’s fiction, I look forward to reading a good selection of women’s stories & romance novels. Lockdown has given me time to read new books & re-read older ones. Someone recommended the author Jojo Moyes for me to read & gave me her book, Me Before You. Loved it, so when my publisher, #jacarandabooks asked me to recommend a book - I thought Me Before You makes a good, easy Sunday afternoon read. #jojomoyes #mebeforeyou #romance #romancebooks #jacarandabooks #romanceauthor #womensfiction #goodreads #recommended #sundayafternoon