A prominent romance Author Susan Meachen is accused of faking her own death and then announcing two years later that she was still alive.
This week, wannabe author Susan Meachen stated on Facebook that she is, in fact, still alive. She died last year, according to reports. According to Meredith Clark, the continuous drama surrounding Susan Meachen’s fake death can be found in the Facebook group The Ward, and it’s arguably more entertaining than any literature.
Susan Meachen, an independent romance author, died two years ago, and her death has been extensively publicized. According to a post on The Ward, a private Facebook community for Meachen’s supporters, the aspiring novelist committed suicide in October 2022 as a result of bullying from other writers.
Just one month before her alleged death, the romance novelist posted to her almost 1,300 Facebook friends about her economic woes and the literary community. Meachen stated in her piece that she had already tried suicide and that her final effort would be published on October 30.
The statement announcing Meachen’s death, reportedly written by her daughter, stated that her children planned to honour her by finishing the work she had started.
Her most recent love story, “Love to Last a Lifetime,” is currently available on Kindle for $2.99.
Members of The Ward’s Facebook page and other fans were saddened to learn of Meachen’s premature death. Meachen also appears to have posted two suicide prevention fundraisers on her Facebook page in February 2022, but neither appears to have received any money.
A group of editors provided free copyediting for Meachen’s posthumous novel. Dedicated to Susan Meachen, author of “Perfectly Flawed Romances,” a group of authors wrote in the dedication of an anthology they published in her honor: “Dedicated to Susan Meachen.” The world would be a different place without her.
Susan Meachen, on the other hand, was resurrected on January 2. When Meachen returned to The Ward Facebook group using her personal Facebook account, she claimed she was never dead.
“I’ve thought about how to accomplish this a million times and still don’t know if it’s right,” Meachen wrote. Many people will have questions, and some of them will want to quit the group. My loved ones, on the other hand, did what they thought was best for me, and I can’t blame them. I almost killed myself again, putting them through that experience again. Although my return to The Ward has minimal relevance, I am in a good emotional state and eager to get back to writing. So, start the games!
Interestingly, it did not. Instead, Meachen’s author and online buddy group were astonished and angry by the post.
Samantha A. Cole, a former police officer and paramedic, is now a prolific novelist who has written over 40 books. Before Meachen’s “death,” the two writers were acquaintances, communicating no more than twice a month and belonging to the same Facebook group, The Ward.
Cole described the moment she realised her deceased friend had never died in an interview with The Independent. Cole was asked if she remembered the late romance author after a mutual contact and member of The Ward group sent her a screenshot of Meachen’s post.
“Of course I remember Susan,” I said. “Ironically, I had been thinking about her for the past few days,” Cole explains. It was one of those unexpected moments when an old acquaintance sprang to mind. Before I could react, she showed me what had been posted in the group and remarked, “I’m not sure what to make of this.”
Cole rejoined the group she had been excluded from after regaining access to her old Facebook account and reading Meachen’s odd post. In the comments section, she asked Meachen directly if her death had been staged.
I’ll do my best to explain it to you if you message me on Messenger,” Meachen stated.
In their private discussions, screenshots of which Cole later uploaded to a viral Facebook status, not much was clarified. Meachen stated in a text message that she “simply wanted her life back” after claiming to be dead.
When Cole asked if it was her daughter posting on her behalf, Meachen said, “I do have a daughter and a son.” I have no reservations about getting readmitted to the literary world. Actually, I was never interested in it.
Cole was especially upset by Meachen’s suicide since she had been labelled as a “bully” suspect.
Some members of the literary community “love stirring up controversy,” according to Cole. “There was one person who was blaming me, claiming that I was the one who pushed Susan over the line and drove her to commit suicide.
Cole’s viral Facebook post, published less than 24 hours after Meachen’s resurrection in The Ward, adds another twist to the story. Meachen made a burner profile under the name “TN Steele” a month after she was said to have killed herself.
Meachen’s Amazon bio describes her as a “wife, mom, meme, and friend” who lives in the “southeastern corner of Tennessee” with her husband of 24 years, two cats, and four snakes, whereas TN Steele’s Facebook page describes her as a “want to be author, wife, office manager, and all-around goofier” from Georgia.
After Meachen’s death, Connie Ortiz, a member of The Ward Facebook group and Meachen’s “virtual assistant,” took over as group administrator, but TN Steele swiftly took control. Ortiz announced in The Ward in November 2022 that recent health issues in her family were making it difficult for her to keep up with the group’s administrative obligations and asked if anyone was interested in taking over.
“I’ll take it, Connie Ortiz,” TN Steele said beneath the post. I’ll redesign it, and maybe you and Susan will enjoy it.
One Twitter user claimed that Ortiz was Meachen’s sister who “aided in the farce,” but Cole claims that this is not the case and that Ortiz was “completely taken by surprise” by the hoax.
Samantha Cole isn’t the only online author who is shocked in the aftermath of Susan Meachen’s alleged death prank on internet readers. Meachen says that the author who died did not hold a “charity auction” to raise money for her funeral.