Anne Mather

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.