Get ready, Perezcious readers, because this whole situation is absolutely wild.

Back in September 2020, a post was published on the Facebook group for indie romance author Susan Meachen called The Ward announcing she had died by suicide. Fellow self-published authors and her fans were stunned and struck by grief, especially after it was suggested that she died following bullying from others in the book community. In light of what happened, many friends questioned whether they could have done something to help Susan, helped raise funds for her funeral, and promoted her works on their social media.

Some even edited one of her final pieces in order to get it out before her daughter’s wedding – which apparently had been her last wish. Taking things a step further, when the bullying allegations came out, followers even harassed other small romance writers, accusing them of causing her death.

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Now, prepare for one of the biggest plot twists ever. It turns out it was… a lie?!? Susan appears to be very much alive. In fact, it’s believed she reappeared in her Facebook group to reveal that not only was she not dead, her family had concocted a fake death story to tell family and friends after she survived a suicide attempt. She wrote:

“I debated on how to do this a million times and still not sure if it’s right or not. 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. 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.”

“Can’t fault them?” They literally made people believe she died by suicide!?

The story manages to get even wilder from here. Following the (now) fake death post, Susan’s account continued to remain active in order to promote her books. One of her children even asked for an editor and announced that her previous works would potentially be unpublished due to her page views and sales remaining at zero for months. A family member even responded to a fan urging them to move on at one point, saying:

“My mom loved you so and it’s very hard to let go.”

Meanwhile, The Ward was being managed by someone named Connie Ortiz for years. When she could no longer run the account due to her family’s recent health issues, she asked someone to take over the role in November 2022. That is when a romance author named TN Steele – who appeared on Facebook two months after the death announcement – stepped up and volunteered, writing:

“I’ll take it Connie Ortiz. I will overhaul it and hope that is pleases you and Susan.”

Well, TN Steele is now thought to be Susan! According to The Daily Beast, Steele’s account seemed to admit that she was Susan, writing at one point that she would “return to my real account name.” Wow…

Although the author might be ready to return to her old life like nothing happened, the book world isn’t ready to welcome her back with open arms – at all. Writer Karen Hall wrote to Susan on Facebook:

“I can forgive many things, but I don’t think I could ever forgive your faking your death.”

Author Samantha Cole, who was harassed by social media users after the bullying claims, posted a series of heated messages she sent to Susan about the situation. The writer responded to the texts that she was in a “better place” and wanted her “life back,” adding that her novels did not sell much after her fake death. As for why she stayed silent for two years? Susan said in a text:

“I had no control over what my family did. I was in the hospital fighting for my life. But I understand what they did.”

Cole later blasted Susan in a video posted on Facebook, saying:

“For two-and-a-half years, she sat back and took on this whole new life, not telling anyone in the book world who she was. Watching us grieve — her and her family accepted free editing, they accepted donations for a funeral that never took place.”

Reactions to the debacle, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments below!

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, help is available. Consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, by calling, texting, or chatting, or go to 988lifeline.org.

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