We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alicia McCalla. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alicia below.
Alicia, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
My mission as an author is deeply personal to me. Several years ago, I lost my only son in a tragic accident. As a mother, losing my child was the single most painful experience of my life. In the depths of my grief, I struggled to find ways to cope with the immense loss and heartbreak.
One day, I reconnected with the world of female superheroes – those strong, resilient, empowered women who overcome immense challenges and adversity. I was instantly drawn to their strength, courage and determination in the face of suffering and loss. These superheroes inspired me and gave me a sense of hope that I could survive this and be strong for my husband, family, and friends.
As I delved deeper into their stories, I found a source of connection with these superheroines who had also experienced loss and tragedy. Their ability to rise up from the ashes of despair showed me what I was capable of, even in my darkest moments. Cosplaying as some of these characters gave me an outlet to express the emotions I was bottling up inside. For a few moments, I could escape from my pain and immerse myself in their power and strength.
Most importantly, these superheroines reminded me of my own inner strength – the strength that had gotten me through so many of life’s challenges in the past. Though that strength felt out of reach in my grief, their stories inspired me to keep going. They gave me permission to not be okay, but to never stop fighting.
In honor of my son’s vibrant spirit, I have dedicated my mission as an author to creating stories and characters that remind others of the power they have within themselves, even in times of immense pain or loss. My books and merchandise share the stories of courageous, empowered Black women who overcome adversity with bravery, strength and heroism. Though my grief remains, this work has given me a way to carry on my son’s memory while nurturing my own healing. My hope is that it will do the same for others facing their own challenges.
Our stories may differ, but within each of us is a superhero waiting to rise. My mission is to help set that superhero free through the power of storytelling. This is for my son, my inspiration, and the reason I keep fighting.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m Alicia McCalla, an author, audiobook narrator and creator of thrilling stories featuring courageous Black heroines. After losing my son several years ago, I found solace and inspiration in the stories of strong, empowered female superheroes. Their journey through adversity and ability to overcome immense loss helped me find strength in my darkest moments. In honor of my son’s memory, I dedicated myself to sharing similar stories of overcoming with others.
I began self-publishing fiction in 2012, initially writing part-time while working as a school librarian. After losing my son, I transitioned to writing full-time, focusing on science fiction, fantasy and paranormal stories featuring brave Black women. My books and audiobooks share the stories of superheroes, slayers, warriors and more. I want to provide representation and role models for Black women in genres where we have traditionally been lacking.
In addition to my fiction, I create merchandise, blog posts and online events celebrating courageous, empowered Black women. My mission is to inspire others with stories of overcoming adversity, finding inner strength and embracing one’s superhuman ability. Though my grief remains, this work has given me an outlet to honor my son’s memory while nurturing my own healing journey.
I’m most proud of the ability to touch readers through sharing vulnerably in my stories and online content. My goal is for others facing loss or difficult life circumstances to find hope, comfort and strength in seeing themselves reflected through my work. I want to make people feel less alone in their pain by sharing my own experiences openly and authentically.
To potential clients, fans and readers, I want you to know that I am dedicated to uplifting and empowering Black women through storytelling. My books, audiobooks and online content celebrate courage, bravery, resilience, and heroism in Black women. I strive to provide inspiration and authentic representation for women who are dreaming of heroes that look like them. Though fiction, my stories are deeply personal – they show the journey of healing, overcoming immense loss, and learning to rise from even your darkest moments.
Overall, I am an author and audiobook narrator on a mission to share stories of Black women superheroes, warriors and vigilantes. I create the empowering content and merchandise I wish I had access to when I was a child. It is my hope to inspire other women with the message that there is light to be found, even in your darkest of days. Our stories may differ, but within each of us is a badass warrior waiting to rise.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
Several books have shaped my thinking as an author and entrepreneur. Gary Keller’s The ONE Thing helped me understand the power of focus and discipline. As an author and entrepreneur, there are so many opportunities and new ideas constantly fighting for my attention. This book taught me to identify the single most important thing – my “one thing” – and give it my all. It has streamlined my time and creative efforts to work on what truly matters to building my business and brand.
Sally Hogshead’s How to Fascinate Test has given me a framework for better understanding how I can uniquely captivate and influence my readers and customers. The Fascinate Test helped me determine my “fascination advantages” – the traits that make me most valuable and persuasive. Communicating from a place of strength and differentiation has been key to attracting new readers and building loyalty with my existing fanbase.
Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work drove home the importance of sharing my creative process openly and generously with others. By allowing people into the behind-the-scenes of how I write and publish books, I’ve built a loyal readership and found new opportunities. Letting others draw inspiration from me has been key to discovering my tribe of readers and like-minded authors.
These resources have shaped how I think about focus, personal branding and sharing my work. They’ve given me both practical strategies and the mindset shift I needed to build an empowered community of readers through my stories. My mission is deeply personal, but the lessons from these authors have helped me turn it into a thriving business. I’m grateful for the inspiration and encouragement found within the pages of these life-changing books.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an author is connecting with readers through the power of storytelling. Hearing from someone that my books or audiobooks touched them, gave them strength in a difficult time or represented them when they couldn’t find themselves in other stories – that makes all the struggles and challenges worthwhile.
As an author of speculative fiction, I am able to share empowering stories of Black women as superheroes, warriors, and leaders that I wish I had more access to growing up. Representation matters, and being able to provide that for readers looking for heroes that look like them is profoundly meaningful. Their stories matter, and I want my work to give them permission to take up space – to be seen and heard.
While losing my son is still the most painful experience of my life, knowing that his memory lives on through my mission of empowering others gives me a sense of purpose. The ability to turn my pain into power and pass on that power through storytelling is the greatest gift. My stories may be works of fiction, but they represent the journey – the light and the dark. They say to the reader “you are not alone.” That is the most rewarding part of this work.
Connecting to others, empowering readers with representation and sharing vulnerably about loss, pain, healing and finding strength – that is my “why” as an author. Though not without struggles, the rewards of this work are what keep me creating, and help transform a painful personal mission into a thriving business. The opportunity to make others feel seen, heard and less alone is the most rewarding aspect of my creative work by far. My son’s memory lives on through every story I share, and every reader I connect with. That is reward enough for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: aliciamccalla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_mccalla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliciaMcCallaAuthor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliciaMcCalla
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2m8S3OXrPwHWIggl3P1q-Q
- GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5621854.Alicia_McCalla
Image Credits
Dr. Howard McCalla