Author accused of faking her own death to promote book

An indie romance novelist has seemingly returned to social media after her death was announced in a Facebook post in 2020.

An indie romance novelist has been accused of faking her own death to promote a book.

US author Susan Meachen was believed to have died in late 2020, when someone claiming to be her daughter posted the news on her Facebook account, according to Insider. The post has since been deleted.

The person claimed her mother took her own life because other members of her book community bullied her.

Authors and online friends helped fund Meachen’s funeral and offered to work on her final book for free.

The writer’s Facebook page has been used to promote her work and to share posts about suicide prevention.

Her final book, Love to Last a Lifetime, was published in October 2020.

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A fellow author dedicated one book to Meachen, presuming she was dead, writing 'the world is a little less bright without her'. Picture: Twitter/Draggerofliars

However, it appears that Meachen never died.

Earlier this week, in a private Facebook group called “The Ward,” Meachen reportedly penned a long-winded message explaining her apparently faux fatality.

“I debated on how to do this a million times and still not sure if it’s right or not,” read the post, shared in screenshots by an eagle-eyed Twitter user.

“There’s going to be tons of questions and a lot of people leaving the group I’d guess. But my family did what they thought was best for me and I can’t fault them for it.

“I almost died again at my own hand and they had to go through all that hell again,” alleged Meachen, who appeared to be the admin for the private page.

“Returning to The Ward doesn’t mean much but I am in a good place now and I am hoping to write again. Let the fun begin.”

Meachen reportedly penned a long-winded message explaining her apparently faux fatality. Picture: Facebook/Samantha A. Cole

The stunning revelation outraged members of the group.

“I can forgive many things, but I don’t think I could ever forgive you faking your death,” author Karen Hall wrote in response to the Facebook post.

Fellow author Samantha A. Cole, who was online friends with Meachen, expressed her anger over the apparent hoax.

“I was horrified, stunned, livid, and felt like I’d been kicked in the gut and the chest at the same time,” Cole wrote on Facebook.

“We grieved for the loss of the woman we considered a friend,” the “heartbroken” writer continued.

“I personally was harassed by another author who loves to create drama, claiming I was one of the authors who bullied Susan and drove her to suicide.”

Fellow author Samantha A. Cole expressed her anger over the apparent hoax. Picture: Facebook/Samantha A. Cole

In a lengthy statement, Cole included over 40 screenshots of messages that were reportedly between herself and a “dead person,” namely Meachen.

When Cole asked Meachen, “What is going on????” she reportedly responded: “Nothing. I simply want my life back. My family was in a bad place and did what they thought was best for me.”

Meachen claimed she was in the hospital “fighting for my life” when her family decided to pen the heartbreaking announcement of her death, per Cole’s screenshots.

While the public believed she had passed, Meachen was apparently alive and allegedly working with a psychiatrist “to get in a better place.”

In a lengthy statement, Cole included over 40 screenshots of messages that were reportedly between herself and a “dead person,” namely Meachen. Picture: Facebook/Samantha A. Cole

Meachen claimed she was in the hospital “fighting for my life” when her family decided to pen the heartbreaking announcement of her death, per Cole’s screenshots. Picture: Facebook/Samantha A. Cole

While the public believed she had passed, Meachen was apparently alive and allegedly working with a psychiatrist “to get in a better place.” Picture: Facebook/Samantha A. Cole

Cole also shared screenshots of a Facebook profile created with the name TN Steele, which she claimed Meachen concocted to stay on social media under that pseudonym.

TN Steele, who described themself as a “want to be author,” joined and later took over “The Ward” page, conversed with Meachen’s family and more — with no one apparently the wiser.

In a 25-minute video posted to Facebook, Cole bitterly called Meachen’s concoction “beyond psychotic” and vowed she’d be more cautious of other writers in literary circles.

“For two-and-a-half years, she sat back and took on this whole new life, not telling anybody in the book world who she was,” Cole said in the video.

“Watching us grieve — her and her family accepted free editing, they accepted donations for a funeral that never took place.”

Cole told Rolling Stone via email that the whole ordeal “tore the book community apart,” adding: “To have it end up being a hoax that was dragged out for almost two and a half years is a slap in the face to anyone who ever supported her.”

Meachen’s final book, Love to Last a Lifetime, was published in October 2020.

Romance novel enthusiasts took to Twitter to share their disgust, calling the alleged bamboozle a “scam” and the author a “piece of sh-t.”

“This Susan Meachen thing is so unbelievably disturbing and horrible,” one bewildered fan wrote on Twitter.

“What sane person fakes their own death for TWO YEARS and then randomly gets on Facebook one day and just is like hey guys I’m back!!”

“Susan Meachen faking her own suicide and then wandering blithely back online because she ‘got bored’ is so exquisitely insane,” tweeted another.

“Romance writers really are operating on another plane of reality,” they concluded.

– with NY Post

Originally published as Author accused of faking her own death to promote book