Catch up

WARNING ... this is going to be a very long post, so if you want to read it, you'll have to set aside a few minutes.

After promising you all that I would be back on FB more regularly, I haven't lived up to my promise. I came across something that sort of threw me for a loop for a while, but I'm back now.

I don't know how many of you were friends with an author I was friends with about 2 and a half years ago, but some of you will know the name.

On September 11, 2020, I posted the following to my FB ...

I can't do FB today. The author world has lost a beautiful lady. Susan Meachen, you weren't just an author, you were a talented cover creator, a friend, a mentor ... you were there for everybody. Your light, your friendship, your feisty essence, will be sorely missed by everybody who knew you. You were the first to step forward and help me out when I first published, and I will never forget you. My deepest condolences to her Mister and kids. Fly high, sweet butterfly. R. I. P. my friend.

On the 6th of January this year, I logged onto Yahoo to check my emails - a headline caught my attention, so I clicked on it to read it. The following is a copy of an article (not the same one I read, but it says the same thing) ...

This Romance Writer Is Back From The Dead After Faking Her Own Suicide, To The Outrage Of Fans

“I am in a good place now and I am hoping to write again. … Let the fun begin.”

These days, it seems like authors will do just about anything to get their books to sell, but one writer took things to a whole new level—the Great Beyond, to be exact.

Fans thought romance writer Susan Meachen was dead, but she recently returned to social media to explain why she faked her suicide. Understandably, this news was met with a less-than-favorable response.

Romance Author Fakes Death After Allegations Of Bullying

In 2020, a post allegedly written by Meachen’s daughter announced that the author had committed suicide following bullying and harassment from the online book community. The allegations of harassment confused many writers and fans, who supported and loved Meachen’s books.

More posts, allegedly from Meachen’s daughter, came out, where she talked further about the bullying her mother had faced. She then announced that she would be publishing Meachen’s final book.

Fans and fellow authors bought the book, promoted it on their pages, and held fundraisers and auctions to combat bullying. For two years, everyone believed Meachen was dead—until she revealed it was all a lie.

Meachen Returns To Social Media: ‘Let The Fun Begin’

“I debated on how to do this a million times and still not sure if it’s right or not,” Meachen wrote in a Facebook post. She went on to say that her family members were the ones behind the suicide hoax and did it because she did attempt suicide.

“Returning to [social media] doesn’t mean much but I am in a good place now and I am hoping to write again,” she wrote. “Let the fun begin.”

The post quickly went viral, and the authors and readers who grieved the loss of Meachen were outraged at her use of the word “fun.”

Samantha A. Cole, a fellow author and online friend of Meachen, shared that she felt guilty she hadn’t done more for Meachen following the alleged suicide and was even personally harassed by people who claimed she was one of Meachen’s bullies.

“This tore the book community apart when everyone started pointing fingers at people who allegedly bullied her,” Cole said. “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 has not made any further comments on her “resurrection,” but her editor, Kasey Hill, has refuted claims that fans and friends donated money for funeral expenses.

Whether this truly was an attempt by Meachen’s family to remove her from a toxic social media environment, or just a way to sell more books, Meachen’s return from the dead has rocked the literature world—and not in a good way.

by Emily Bloch

Updated Jan 6, 2023

The Philadelphia Inquirer

I was knocked for six. It took me a few days to process things and how I felt. My immediate reaction was WTF?! Who in their right mind would 'fake' a suicide death? After I had processed things, I posted on her page, The Ward (which she apparently is shutting down this week) ... the following is what I posted ...

Wow. I cannot even begin to explain my feelings right now. I was shocked to read about this the other day, and it has taken me a while to process things. A lot of people grieved for you, me included. Now you're back from the dead it seems. I cannot fathom, in what universe, it would be okay for someone to fake their 'suicide' death (or your daughter to fake it - if she even is your daughter - maybe it was you all along - who knows anymore?). Guess the one who "likes causing drama" must have known something none of the rest of us did - maybe we should have listened to him instead of jumping all over him, defending you and your family.

There are a lot of people who have been affected by this. In my opinion, this is one of the lowest of the low. To state that someone committed suicide when they're alive is just plain evil. I will have nothing to do with her (even her pen name, TN Steele) and I will NEVER buy any more of her books. I will also be sharing a post by Samantha Cole.

Now, onto other things.

I've been busy experimenting with stitching beads (there are several different stitches, but I've only mastered 2), making some chokers (and bracelets). I'll attach a photo of the choker I have finished (and will reluctantly attach a couple of photos of me wearing it, too - my normal black choker is on beneath it in case you're wondering what that thing is at the bottom).

Our veggie garden has produced some nice vegetables - yes, some photos will be included. The freezer is now stocked to bursting and we've been giving stuff away to people we know. There's no way we would have been able to eat it all. As for the fruit trees - the apricot and peach trees were loaded with fruit. Two of my favorite fruits. I was so excited to have so many to eat on both trees - until the fucking fruit fly decided to ruin things! ALL the fruit on both trees had to be tossed out. Next year we'll be ready for the fuckers - hubby has ordered some mesh net things that will go over each tree before the fruit appears to keep them out - plus I'll be doing the apple cider vinegar/sugar thing to put in all the fly traps around the trees. They will not get a single piece of fruit next year!

I've also been doing some book covers - a couple of them will be posted with this. And I've decided to create a website to offer them to Indie authors at a reasonable price. I know why cover creators charge so much because some of these covers take many hours to do to completion, so the ones I do up will be a very reasonable alternative for those without a ton of money behind them. Once I get about 20 done, I'll do the website then I'll be asking all my wonderful friends to share the site to all their social media platforms for me 😁.

The morning walks have recommenced, too. Began on the 1st of January, so guess you could say it was a New Year resolution! The first few days were great - then the damn back went again so we had to stop for a while - but happy to say we've been walking again this week - not the whole of east side of town, probably around a third which we will stick to for a while until we stop puffing and panting by the time we get back home. I feel better for it and am determined to stick to it so that when I go to the city when our next little grandchild (munchkin - they're all going to end up with nicknames from grandma) arrives in mid-may, I'll be a slimmer grandma! Maybe I'll be fit enough to play with my 2-year-old Li'l bean (Laike), too - he'll be over 2 and a half by that time.

I think I've caught you all up on everything. From tomorrow morning onward I'll be posting regular morning photos - they won't be as good as the ones I used to take up the hill, but they'll still be nice to look at.

Take care and stay safe. Have a wonderful afternoon, evening, or morning depending on where you all live.