Anne Mather: A Category Romance Original
The Beginning
Anne Mather is a pseudonym for Mildred Grieveson. She was born on October 10, 1946, in England. All throughout her youth, Mildred had been an imaginative child. Eventually, she put those thoughts to paper, becoming a prolific and messy writer. Whenever Mildred’s room became too untidy, her mother would dispose of all the stories scattered about.
While she wrote copiously, Mildred never completed any of her works into finished novels. After graduating from school, she married young, at the age of 18. and her husband’s urging, she finally completed one of the works. They then submitted it to a publisher whose name they’d chosen at random.
Soon thereafter, in 1965, when she was only 19, Mildred’s first book, Caroline, was published with Mills & Boon under the pseudonym Anne Mather.
As Anne’s daughter was just a baby, it was quite a handful juggling her household chores and scribbling away in exercise books every chance she got.
Mather’s first five books were published in a hardcover edition by Robert Hale Ltd., London, although Mills and Boon would later publish these in paperback. Her first novel to be issued entirely through the Mills and Boon romance line was Dangerous Enchantment in May 1969, although it, too, would be released in hardback.
A Series Romance Bestseller
Mather’s works became quite popular with readers. Her 1970 romance, Moon Witch, was an all-time best seller for Mills and Boon/ Harlequin, being reissued at least nine times, and is currently available in e-reader format.
After the acquisition of Mills and Boon by Harlequin Ltd, Mather’s books would be released in North America to larger audiences. In 1973, she, along with the publishing company’s other most popular and prolific authors, Violet Winspear and Anne Hampson, was chosen to launch the new Harlequin Presents line of category romance novels.
As the romance industry was quickly evolving to suit the desires of modern women, Harlequin Presents books were more sensual than the previous line, Harlequin Romance. At first, most Presents were just reissues of these authors’ previous works, but soon Mather and others began producing original fiction. Mather was incredibly successful and became a worldwide phenomenon.
Anne Mather’s novel, 1974 Leopard in the Snow, about a woman “imprisoned” in a house with an injured former race car driver and his butler, was developed into a 1978 movie starring Keir Dullea and Susan Penhaligon. While it was not a commercial success, the very fact that the book was produced as a major motion picture speaks volumes about Mather’s success as a romance writer.
She would later go on to release full-length novels with Harlequin/ Worldwide, such as Stormspell, Wild Concerto, and 2016’s independent release, Silent Echo.
Anne Mather also once made an appearance on the game show Jeopardy as a contestant.
Anne Mather Legacy
Mildred Greiveson has published 170 books, with millions of books sold. She also published books under the name Caroline Fleming, which were reprinted under the Anne Mather pseudonym.
Mather’s last release was 2017’s An Heir Made in a Marriage Bed.
Mildred is retired and lives in England. She has two adult children, a son and daughter, and two grandchildren.
BACKLIST
*Reviewed by Introvert Reader
1960s
- Caroline (1965)
- Beloved Stranger (1966) aka Legacy of the Past
- Design for Loving (1966) aka Seen by Candlelight
- Masquerade (1966)
- The Arrogance of Love (1968)
- Dangerous Enchantment (1969)
- Dangerous Rhapsody (1969)
- Dark Venetian (1969) (by Caroline Fleming)
- Enchanted Island (1969) aka The Innocent Invader
- The Legend of Lexandros (1969)
- Tangled Tapestry (1969)*
1970s
- The Arrogant Duke (1970)
- Charlotte’s Hurricane (1970)
- Lord of Zaracus (1970)
- Master of Falcon’s Head (1970)
- Moon Witch (1970)*
- Sweet Revenge (1970)
- Who Rides the Tiger (1970)
- Storm in a Rain Barrel (1971)
- The Pleasure and the Pain (1971)
- The Sanchez Tradition (1971)
- All the Fire (1971)
- The Reluctant Governess (1971)
- The High Valley (1971)
- Living with Adam (1972)
- A Distant Sound of Thunder (1972)
- Autumn of the Witch (1972)
- Dark Enemy (1972)
- Monkshood (1972)
- Prelude to Enchantment (1972)
- The Night of the Bulls (1972)
- Jake Howard’s Wife (1973)
- Mask of Scars (1973)
- The Shrouded Web (1973)
- White Rose of Winter (1973)
- Chase a Green Shadow (1973)
- A Savage Beauty (1973)
- No Gentle Possession (1973)*
- The Waterfalls of the Moon (1973)* (aka The Waterfall of the Moon)
- Silver Fruit Upon Silver Trees (1974)
- Rachel Trevellyan (1974)
- Dark Moonless Night (1974)
- Witchstone (1974)
- The Japanese Screen (1974)
- Leopard in the Snow (1974)
- Country of the Falcon (1975)
- Dark Castle (1975)
- Pale Dawn, Dark Sunset (1975)
- Take What You Want (1975)
- Come the Vintage (1975)
- For the Love of Sara (1975)
- Come Running (1976)
- Valley Deep, Mountain High (1976)
- Beware the Beast (1976)
- Forbidden (1976)
- Devil’s Mount (1976)
- The Smouldering Flame (1976)
- Wild Enchantress (1976)
- Alien Wife (1976)
- The Medici Lover (1977)
- Born Out of Love (1977)
- Charade in Winter (1977)
- A Trial Marriage (1977)
- Devil in Velvet (1977)
- Loren’s Baby (1978)
- Rooted in Dishonour (1978)
- Scorpions’ Dance (1978)
- Proud Harvest (1978)
- Follow Thy Desire (1978)
- Captive Destiny (1978)
- Fallen Angel (1978)
- Melting Fire (1979)
- The Judas Trap (1979)
- Lure of Eagles (1979)
- Apollo’s Seed (1979)
- Hell or High Water (1979)
1980s
- Spirit of Atlantis (1980)
- Whisper of Darkness (1980)
- Sandstorm (1980)
- Images of Love (1980)
- A Haunting Compulsion (1981)
- Forbidden Love (1981)
- Castles of Sand (1981)
- Forbidden Flame (1981)
- Innocent Obsession (1981)
- Duelling Fire (1981)
- Edge of Temptation (1981)
- Smokescreen (1982)
- Stormspell (1982)* (Full length Single Issue)
- Impetuous Masquerade (1982)
- Season of Mists (1982)
- A Passionate Affair* (1982)
- An Elusive Desire (1983)
- Cage of Shadows (1983)
- Green Lightning (1983)
- Wild Concerto (1983) (Full length-single issue)
- Sirocco* (1983)
- Moondrift (1984)
- Act of Possession (1985)
- Hidden in the Flame (1985)
- Stolen Summer (1985)
- Pale Orchid (1985)
- An All-Consuming Passion (1985)
- The Longest Pleasure (1986)
- Night Heat (1987)
- Burning Inheritance (1987)
- Trial of Innocence (1988)
- Dark Mosaic (1989)
- A Fever in the Blood (1989)
1990s
- A Relative Betrayal (1990)
- Indiscretion (1990)
- Blind Passion (1991)
- Such Sweet Poison (1991)
- Betrayed (1991)
- Diamond Fire (1991)
- Guilty (1992)
- Dangerous Sanctuary (1992)
- Tidewater Seduction (1992)
- Rich as Sin (1992)
- Snowfire (1993)
- Tender Assault (1993)
- A Secret Rebellion (1993)
- Strange Intimacy (1994)
- Brittle Bondage (1994)
- Raw Silk (1994)
- Treacherous Longings (1995)
- A Woman of Passion (1995)
- Relative Sins (1996)
- Wicked Caprice (1996)
- Dangerous Temptation (1997)
- Long Nights Loving (1997)
- Shattered Illusions (1997)
- Dishonourable Intent (1997)
- Sinful Pleasures (1998)
- Pacific Heat (1998)
- Morgan’s Child (1998)
- Her Guilty Secret (1999)
- The Baby Gambit (1999)
2000s
- Innocent Sins (2000)
- Savage Innocence (2001)
- A Rich Man’s Touch (2001)
- Hot Pursuit (2002)
- Sinful Truths* (2003)
- Innocence Betrayed (2006)
- Bedded for the Italian’s Pleasure (2006)
- The Pregnancy Affair (2006)
- The Brazilian Millionaire’s Love-Child (2009) aka The Brazilian’s Love-Child
- His Forbidden Passion (2009)
2010s
- Innocent Virgin, Wild Surrender (2010)
- A Wild Surrender (2012)
- A Forbidden Temptation (2016)
- Silent Echo (2016)
- Morelli’s Mistress (2016)
- A Dangerous Taste of Passion (2016)
- An Heir Made in the Marriage Bed (2017)