Author, Therapist And Motivational Speaker Tyreese McAllister Announces Release of Children’s Book, Is My Lollipop In Heaven

Author, Therapist and Motivational Speaker Tyreese McAllister is announcing the release of her children’s book, Is My Lollipop In Heaven? The book, which deals with the subject of children grieving the loss of a parent or loved one to homicide, is currently in pre-sales and available at www.tyreesemcallister.org. A live launch is planned for March 21.

McAllister tragically lost her 18-year-old daughter, Ayana to homicide in 2017, while her daughter was home from college. “I was looking for a book to explain this to the children in our family, all ranging in age from five to ten at the time,” she says, “but I really had trouble finding a book that conveyed what I wanted to say.”

Following a significant period of grief, McAllister decided to write her own children’s book. It presents different scenarios – a girl who lost her sister in a school shooting; twins who’s mother was killed during a domestic dispute; a boy whose father was killed in a police encounter; and a child who’s parent was killed while serving overseas in the armed forces. “The common thread with all these stories is the loss of a parent to homicidal gun violence,” McAllister says, “And in every story, the other parent or an adult caretaker makes sure to put the child in therapy in order to process the trauma.”

McAllister, a licensed therapist with more than 25 years’ experience in the field of emergency mental health, specializes in helping individuals experiencing crisis and/or traumatic events. She says Is My Lollipop In Heaven? also features a guide for caregivers. “The adults in the child’s life: parent, teacher, camp counselor, or youth minister, can follow the guide to learn the different issues the child may experience, and how to address those,” she says, “The guide also presents the questions the child is likely to have based on the particular manner of the homicide of their loved one.”

Ayana McAllister’s homicide remains unsolved. She was watching the filming of a music video with her sister and friends when the shooting occurred. Ayana’s parents called her, “Lollipop.”

McAllister is a contributor to the best-selling anthology, Soul Talk Vol. 3: Soul-Stirring Stories of People Who Let Go And Let God. The anthology features 21 co-authors who are bearing their very souls to give readers the hope, strength, and faith they need to overcome life’s pains, disappointments, and heartaches. She is also editor of two anthologies planned for release in May and June 2021.

McAllister is host of the Thursday Therapy podcast as well. She and her husband direct the Ayana J. McAllister Foundation, whose mission is to engage, educate, and advocate for minority communities disproportionately impacted by gun violence. The organization seeks to promote personal and community safety, influence policy, and mobilize and engage minority groups at local, state and national levels. “We’re really looking to shine attention on everyday homicide, which severely impacts the Black community,” McAllister says, “That’s the type of crime that we feel has not been sufficiently addressed.”