The indie romance book community was recently left shaken after author Susan Meachen returned from the dead. The His Wicked Way writer was believed to have been dead since September 2020 when her alleged daughter posted online that she died by suicide. However, the writer has returned, and the internet does not seem to be taking it well.The Finding Faith author recently took to the Facebook group, The Ward, and left netizens flabbergasted. She revealed that her family made the decision to declare her dead as she was battling a mental health crisis. The post read:"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." She added:"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."Susan Meachen announces she is very much alive in Facebook post (Image via Facebook)While the Meachen family maintained that the author had passed away, they blamed online trolls and other romance writers of bullying her. Meanwhile, Susan Meachen’s online friends grieved for the loss of a friend and collected money for funeral expenses. They also worked for free to edit one of the author’s unpublished works to fulfil what was described to be Susan’s last wish- the release of her final novel ahead of her daughter’s wedding.Who is Susan Meachen? Fellow author Samantha A. Cole condemns author’s elaborate death hoaxSusan Meachen is a self-published independent author whose books are available on Amazon. A few of her most popular pieces include Finding Faith, His Wicked Way, Never/ Ever among others. In her author bio, she described herself as:"Author of Perfectly Flawed Romances."At the time of her alleged death, she was reportedly working on her last novel Love to Last a Lifetime. This was allegedly published posthumously by Meachen’s daughter in October 2020, who completed the final rewrites.Fellow author and member of the indie romance book community Samantha A. Cole revealed that she had grieved the death of Meachen. The former went on to express outrage over the fake death. Speaking about how she felt about Susan Meachen’s alleged passing, Cole wrote in a Facebook post:“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. I was heartbroken when I realized it’d been a few months since I’d chatted with Susan in PMs and wished I’d reached out sooner."Author Samantha Cole opines on Susan Meachen's return (Image via Facebook)Cole also explained how she realized that a Facebook user under the name TN Steele, who was insistent on taking on the role of administrator of The Ward Facebook group, was none other than Meachen herself.In another Facebook video, Cole expressed that the situation was “beyond psychotic.” She also revealed that she engaged with Susan Meachen after she returned to the Facebook community. In the messages shared between the two, Meachen claimed that she had “no control” over her family’s decision to pronounce her dead as she was “fighting” for her life.Text message exchange between the two authors (Image via Facebook)In another text message, Meachen claimed that she was “not worried about the book world” letting her back in as she felt that she “was never really in.”In her Facebook video, Cole vehemently stated that she was against Meachen’s actions. She said:“I am happy she is alive because I don’t want to wish death on anybody. But I cannot condone what she did, and I cannot forgive what she did.”Netizens react to Susan Meachen’s rise from the deadInternet users were astonished by the death hoax. Many were quick to believe that the Losing Hope author took part in the intricate scheme to drive her book sales and make other sorts of financial benefits. A few reactions to the matter at hand read:Margaret Adelle@margaret_adelleThe thing that boggles my mind about the Susan Meachen thing is... THIS is her legacy now.It doesn't matter how many books she writes in the future or what their quality is. To the vast majority, she will always be "that author that faked a suicide."201The thing that boggles my mind about the Susan Meachen thing is... THIS is her legacy now.It doesn't matter how many books she writes in the future or what their quality is. To the vast majority, she will always be "that author that faked a suicide."gwen 🪴🫧@ironspidergwenthis whole susan meachen thing just reaffirms my belief that all susan’s are evil4this whole susan meachen thing just reaffirms my belief that all susan’s are evilGretchen Felker-Martin@scumbelievableSusan Meachen faking her own suicide and then wandering blithely back online because she "got bored" is so exquisitely insane. Romance writers really are operating on another plane of reality.104891Susan Meachen faking her own suicide and then wandering blithely back online because she "got bored" is so exquisitely insane. Romance writers really are operating on another plane of reality.Sai Fox | 💙🧡 | ❤️🖤 |@MsSaiFox@seriesera Susan Meachen is a genuinely awful person, and I don’t really know what else to say.5@seriesera Susan Meachen is a genuinely awful person, and I don’t really know what else to say.Taylor.@tayboss20Guess who shouldn’t support or buy any of Susan Meachen’s books? Everyone. Do not support someone who faked their death by suicide and then emerges 2 years later. 0/10 HELL NO.132Guess who shouldn’t support or buy any of Susan Meachen’s books? Everyone. Do not support someone who faked their death by suicide and then emerges 2 years later. 0/10 HELL NO.elina 🔪🔮@bogwitchbooksThis Susan Meachen thing is so unbelievably disturbing and horrible. 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!!132This Susan Meachen thing is so unbelievably disturbing and horrible. 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!!Victoria@peacebangThat is one of the sickest, most horrible non-violent crimes I've ever heard of #susanmeachen11That is one of the sickest, most horrible non-violent crimes I've ever heard of #susanmeachenLL Cool Jay@PorshaJayAn author named Susan Meachen faked her own death, capitalized off of the hundreds of donations and book sales, and then tried to return to the world like nothing happened. Un-uh sis…. Stay wherever you was at, or return them ppl money.7An author named Susan Meachen faked her own death, capitalized off of the hundreds of donations and book sales, and then tried to return to the world like nothing happened. Un-uh sis…. Stay wherever you was at, or return them ppl money.⛈️Peyton Storm⛈️ Book 3 - April 2023!💙@AuthorPeyStormWaking up to news of the resurrection of an author who supposedly "un-alived" herself two years ago was NOT on my bingo card for today and yet...Susan Meachen/TN Steele.382Waking up to news of the resurrection of an author who supposedly "un-alived" herself two years ago was NOT on my bingo card for today and yet...Susan Meachen/TN Steele.Bee@selfbybeeLemme just say that author Susan Meachen thought the internet was rough two years ago?? Gworl tiktok knows all about your farce ya ain’t seen nothing yet!81Lemme just say that author Susan Meachen thought the internet was rough two years ago?? Gworl tiktok knows all about your farce ya ain’t seen nothing yet!It remains unclear whether Meachen will continue to release books under her real name due to the massive backlash she has garnered recently.