Tennessee: In September 2020, a Facebook post from someone claiming to be the daughter of indie romance author Susan Meachen announced the writer had died by suicide.
Ms Meachen wrote what she described as “perfectly flawed” romance novels and had fostered a tightknit online community of readers and fellow authors who supported each other’s work.
Back in September 2020, the daughter of Tennessee-based author Susan Meachen announced on Facebook that her mother had “passed away”. Apparently, Meachen had tragically taken her own life after experiencing bullying and harassment from members of the book community.
But in January 2023, the supposedly late author appeared to come back from the dead. “I debated on how to do this a million times and still not sure if it’s right or not. There’s going to be tons of questions and a lot of people leaving the group, I’d guess,” wrote a Facebook user claiming to be Meachen. “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.” (I’m not sure we can describe the ensuing chaos, heartache, and confusion as ‘fun’.)
On Tuesday, someone claiming to be Ms Meachen revealed to the group that she was indeed alive and had been managing and posting in the group for years under an alias, according to screenshots shared with the BBC.
“I am in a good place now and I am hoping to write again,” the Facebook post said. “Let the fun begin.”
While the full circumstances around the whole affair remain a mystery, the post sparked outrage within the writing group. Ms Cole said she had confronted Ms Meachen in a Facebook message and demanded answers.
“Why come back at all? Why not just stay under the alias you were using?” she wrote.
In messages shared with the BBC, Ms Meachen said her family was to blame, and said she had chosen to stay silent while she “worked with my psychiatrist and therapist to get in a better place”.
Others wanted to know if they would be reimbursed for their donations and support to her family over the years. Ms Adams said she had reached out to the sheriff’s department in Ms Meachen’s county to file fraud claims.
The BBC reached out to the sheriff’s department, which said it could not provide information about specific reports, and to call back at a later date for comment.
After news of the hoax went viral, someone claiming to be Ms Meachen told writer Michael Gallagher that she felt the only way to find relief from the online bullying she said she experienced, was to fake her own death.
