Anne Ashurst (née Bushell; October 1938 in

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England – 15 November 2017), who wrote using the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

Sara Craven, was a British author of over 80

romance novel A romance novel or romantic novel generally refers to a type of genre fiction novel which places its primary focus on the relationship and Romance (love), romantic love between two people, and usually has an "emotionally satisfying and optimis ...

s. Her novels were published by

Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. In 1971, the ...

from 1975. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the 26th Chairman (2011–2013) of the

Romantic Novelists' Association The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is the professional body that represents authors of romantic fiction in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1960 by Denise Robins (first president), Barbara Cartland (first vice-president), Vivian Stuar ...

Biography

Anne "Annie" Bushell was born in October 1938 in

, England. She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the

Middlesbrough Writers' Group Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the ar ...

, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (

Anne Mather Anne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson (born 10 October 1936 in England, United Kingdom), a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming. Mildred Grieveson beg ...

). She started to write romance. In 1975, she sold her first romance novel to

, under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's

Mastermind Mastermind, Master Mind or The Mastermind may refer to: Fictional characters * Mastermind (Jason Wyngarde), a fictional supervillain in Marvel Comics, a title also held by his daughters: ** Martinique Jason, the first daughter and successor of th ...

, winning the last final presented by

Magnus Magnusson Magnus Magnusson, (born Magnús Sigursteinsson; 12 October 1929 – 7 January 2007) was an Icelandic-born British-based journalist, translator, writer and television presenter. Born in Reykjavík, he lived in Scotland for almost all his life, a ...

. Divorced twice, she lived in the Midlands town of Rugby in England, but was a regular visitor to New York City, where her twin grandchildren live. Ashurst passed away in 2017.

Bibliography

Novels

*''The Garden of Dreams'' (1975) *''Gift for a Lion'' (1977) *''Strange Adventure'' (1977) *''Temple of the Moon'' (1977) *''Wild Melody'' (1977) *''Place of Storms'' (1977) *''Devil at Archangel'' (1978) *''Dragon's Lair'' (1978) *''Past All Forgetting'' (1978) *''High Tide at Midnight'' (1978) *''Moth to the Flame'' (1979) *''Solitaire'' (1979) *''Flame of Diablo'' (1979) *''Fugitive Wife'' (1980) *''Shadow of Desire'' (1980) *''Moon of Aphrodite'' (1980) *''Summer of the Raven'' (1981) *''Witching Hour'' (1981) *''Dark Summer Dawn'' (1981) *''Counterfeit Bride'' (1982) *''Unguarded Moment'' (1982) *''Pagan Adversary'' (1983) *''Sup with the Devil'' (1983) *''Bad Enemy'' (1983) *''Dark Paradise'' (1984) *''Act of Betrayal'' (1985) *''Alien Vengeance'' (1985) *''Promise of the Unicorn'' (1985) *''Escape Me Never'' (1985) *''A High Price to Pay'' (1986) *''The Marriage Deal'' (1986) *''Night of the Condor'' (1987) *''Outsider'' (1987) *''Witch's Harvest'' (1987) *''Devil and the Deep Sea'' (1988) *''Comparative Strangers'' (1988) *''King of Swords'' (1988) *''Island of the Heart'' (1989) *''Flawless'' (1989) *''Storm Force'' (1989) *''When the Devil Drives'' (1991) *''Desperate Measures'' (1991) *''Dark Ransom'' (1992) *''Dawn Song'' (1993) *''Tower of Shadows'' (1993) *''Dark Apollo'' (1994) *''Thunder on the Reef'' (1994) *''One Reckless Night'' (1997) *''Marriage at a Distance'' (1998) *''Marriage Under Suspicion'' (1998) *''Bartaldi's Bride'' (1999) *''Seduction Game'' (1999) *''Marriage by Deception'' (2000) *''Rome's Revenge'' (2001) *''Smokescreen Marriage'' (2001) *''In the Millionaire's Possession'' (2005) *''One Night with His Virgin Mistress'' (2008) *''Ruthless Awakening'' (2009) *''The Innocent's Surrender'' (2010) *''His Untamed Innocent'' (2010) *''The Highest Stakes of All'' (2011) *''Wife in the Shadows'' (2011) *''The End of Her Innocence'' (2012) *''The Price of Retribution'' (2012) *''Count Valieri's Prisoner'' (2013) *''Seduction Never Lies'' (2014) *''Inherited By Her Enemy'' (2015) *''The Innocent's Sinful Craving'' (2015)

Forbidden! multi-author series

*''Deceived'' (1996)

Nanny Wanted! multi-author series

*''Ultimate Temptation'' (1997) *''A Nanny for Christmas'' (1997)

Red-Hot Revenge multi-author series

#''Irresistible Temptation'' (1999)

Nothing Hill Grooms multi-author series

*''Mistress on Loan'' (2000)

Greek Tycoons multi-author series

*''The Tycoon's Mistress'' (2000) *''His Forbidden Bride'' (2003)

Wedlocked! multi-author series

*''The Marriage Proposition'' (2002) *''His Convenient Marriage'' (2002) *''The Marriage Truce'' (2002) *''The Token Wife'' (2003) *''His Wedding Night Heir'' (2005) *''Wife Against Her Will'' (2006) *''Bride of Desire'' (2006) *''The Forced Bride'' (2007)

Italian Husbands multi-author series

*''The Forced Marriage'' (2002) *''The Marchese's Love-Child'' (2004) *''The Count's Blackmail Bargain'' (2005)

Foreign Affairs multi-author series

*''The Bedroom Barter'' (2003)

Mistress To A Millionaire multi-author series

*''Mistress at a Price'' (2004)

Ruthless multi-author series

*''Innocent On Her Wedding Night'' (2007)

Innocent Mistress, Virgin Bride multi-author series

*''The Virgin's Wedding Night'' (2008)

Forced to Marry multi-author series

*''The Santangeli Marriage'' (2008)

Collections

*''The Sara Craven Duet'' (1993)

Omnibus in collaboration

*''Marriage of Convenience: Marrying Game, Marriage Deal'' (1995) (with

Lindsay Armstrong Lindsay Armstrong is a popular South African-Australian writer of over 65 romance novels. She published her novels in Mills & Boon's since 1981. Armstrong was born and raised in South Africa, and married a New Zealand-born man who worked in We ...

) *''Passion with a Vengeance'' (1998) (with

Jacqueline Baird Jacqueline Baird (born 1 April in Northumberland, England) is popular English writer of over 30 romance novels since 1988. Awards * Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award 1998. Best Harlequin Presents * Romantic Times Wishes * Numerous Waldenb ...

and

Emma Darcy Emma Darcy is the pseudonym used by the Australian husband–wife writing team of Wendy Brennan (28 November 1940 – 12 December 2020) and Frank Brennan (1936 – 1995), they wrote in collaboration over 45 romance novels. In 1993, for the Emm ...

) *''Hot Latin Lovers'' (2003) (with Michelle Reid and Sophie Weston) *''Passion in Paradise'' (2004) (with

and

Cathy Williams Cathy Williams (born 1957 in Trinidad and Tobago) is a British writer of romance novels in Mills & Boon since 1990. Biography Cathy Williams was born in 1957 in Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies. She lives in Chiswick, London, England, wi ...

) *''Greek Millionaires'' (2004) (with

Penny Jordan Penelope Halsall (née Jones; 24 November 1946 – 31 December 2011) was a best-selling and prolific English writer of over 200 romance novels. She started writing regency romances as Caroline Courtney, and wrote contemporary romances as Penny ...

and

Anne McAllister Barbara Schenck under the pseudonym Anne McAllister is an American best-selling writer of over 55 romance novels since 1985. Biography Barbara Schenck was born in California, but spent time on her grandparents' ranch in Colorado and visiting ...

) *''A Christmas Engagement'' (2004) (with

Jessica Matthews Jessica Tuchman Mathews (born July 4, 1946) is an American international affairs expert with a focus on climate and energy, defense and security, nuclear weapons, and conflict and governance. She was President of the Carnegie Endowment for Intern ...

and Margaret Way) *''Dark Seductions'' (2005) (with

Robyn Donald Robyn Donald (born 14 August 1940) is a prolific New Zealand writer of romance novels since 1977. Her books have print runs of up to 500,000 copies at a time. Biography Donald was born in Warkworth where her father owned a dairy farm. She tra ...

and

) *''The Italian's Pleasure'' (2006) (with Diana Hamilton and Carol Marinelli) *''His Virgin Lover'' (2006) (with

Sandra Field Jill MacLean (born 1941 in England) is a Canadian writer of children's fiction books and, under the pseudonyms of Sandra Field, Jan MacLean and Jocelyn Haley, a popular author of over 70 romance novels for Harlequin Enterprises Ltd since 1974. B ...

and

Susan Napier Susan Napier (born 14 February 1954 in Auckland, New Zealand) was a popular New Zealand writer of over 30 romance novels in various Mills & Boon category lines since 1984. Biography Napier worked as a reporter at the newspaper ''Auckland Star' ...

) *''Escape to Greek Affairs'' (2006) (with Margaret Mayo) *''Sweet Revenge'' (2006) (with

and Kim Lawrence) *''Blind-Date Grooms'' (2007) (with

and Jessica Hart) *''His Bride on His Terms'' (2008) (with

and Carole Mortimer) *''Raw Silk / Dark Apollo / Dark Fire'' (2008) (with

and

) *''Paper Marriages'' (2008) (with

and Sara Wood) *''To Claim His Mistress'' (2008) (with Alison Fraser and

Kay Thorpe Kay Thorpe (born 1935) is a British author of more than 75 romance novels. She published her novels in Mills & Boon since 1968. All her novels have also been published under Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Over a period of four decades, she has ...

) *''Blackmailed by the Rich Man'' (2008) (with

Julia James Julia James (1890–1964) was an English actress of the 1900s Edwardian era, the leading lady at the Gaiety Theatre. Biography Julia James was born in London in 1890. In 1905 she began her career in ''Supper Belle in Blue Bell'' at the Aldwych T ...

and Lucy Monroe) *''The Italian's Love-Child'' (2009) (with

and Diana Hamilton) *''His Contract Bride'' (2009) (with

Day Leclaire Day Leclaire is an American author of more than forty romance novels. Biography Early years Day Leclaire started writing when she was just a child. After a long day of trying to keep occupied in the midst of a snowstorm, Leclaire and her three ...

and

Sandra Marton Sandra Marton (born June 30, 19?? in the United States) is a best-selling American author of over 86 romance novels in Harlequin Enterprises Ltd since 1985. In 2012, she began writing self-published novels. Six titles are currently available: " ...

) *''His Wife, His Revenge'' (2009) (with

Lynne Graham Lynne Graham (born 30 July 1956 in Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish author of over 100 romance novels. She published her novels in Mills & Boon since 1987. Biography Graham was born on 30 July 1956 in Northern Ireland to an Irish- Scott ...

and Lucy Monroe) *''His Independent Bride'' (2010) (with

Maggie Cox Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret. Maggie may refer to: People Women * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), Aust ...

and Catherine Spencer) *''The Right Bride?'' (2010) (with

and

Jessica Steele Jessica Steele (9 May 1933 – 23 November 2020) was a British author of 88 romance novels that spanned a career over four decades, Her novels have been published by Mills & Boon since 1979 starting with The Icicle Heart. Her last novel was The ...

) *''After Hours: Boardroom Bargains'' (2010) (with

Kelly Hunter Kelly Hunter (born 21 July 1963) is a British film, television, radio, stage and musical actress, a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. She is a Laurence Olivier Award nominee and Radio Academy Award and TMA Aw ...

and Carol Marinelli)

References

External links

Sara Craven's webpage
in Harlequin Enterprises Ltd
Sara Craven's webpage
in Fantastic Fiction's website {{DEFAULTSORT:Craven, Sara 1938 births 2017 deaths English romantic fiction writers English women novelists Women romantic fiction writers People from Paignton 20th-century English novelists 21st-century English novelists Place of death missing 21st-century English women writers 20th-century English women writers