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A Wink and a Smile
IN THIS READ ON THE Run title, we present eighteen romances. Not love stories, although some of them do include aspects of that. But whereas love stories are often sad, each of the selections in A Wink and a Smile has either a “happily-ever-after” ending, or at least a strong suggestion that this is where the characters are heading.
That doesn’t mean these tales all sound the same; to the contrary, we’ve found quite a diverse collection of romances. Yes, there are some traditional romances, and there’s a healthy handful of budding romances, but you will also find a story set in the future, and a couple of fantasy tales. You will find stories of pastries, and candies, of young lovers and old. You will meet several matchmakers and you’ll see couples reconcile, and there are even a few stories that will make you laugh.
As always, each story in the Read on the Run series of anthologies is short, to suit your busy lifestyle.
That doesn’t mean these tales all sound the same; to the contrary, we’ve found quite a diverse collection of romances. Yes, there are some traditional romances, and there’s a healthy handful of budding romances, but you will also find a story set in the future, and a couple of fantasy tales. You will find stories of pastries, and candies, of young lovers and old. You will meet several matchmakers and you’ll see couples reconcile, and there are even a few stories that will make you laugh.
As always, each story in the Read on the Run series of anthologies is short, to suit your busy lifestyle.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 23, 2018
1 person is currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Sally Basmajian
12 books90 followers As a kid I was curly-haired (which only my dad admired) and musical (which won me the occasional award and sometimes even a photo in The Kingston Whig-Standard). I scaled my way upward through the Royal Conservatory system, continued pounding the faux-ivories at Queen’s University to get my BMus, and ultimately received a Master of Arts in Musicology at the University of Toronto.
Post-university, my transition to reality was rougher than rough. Eventually, having the desire to afford an occasional meal, I segued into advertising and marketing, ending up on the corporate side of broadcasting. In fact, I used to greenlight or turn down proposals for television series. Karma is having a lovely time now, as it tickles me with occasional publishing contracts or prizes, but punches me with brutal rejections, too.
It doesn’t matter—I love to write, more so than I ever enjoyed practicing arpeggios or selling ad spots on network television. As a teenager, I filled stacks of diaries with angst-filled entries—although I didn’t win any academic prizes for writing, because I had a bad habit of killing off my characters when they became too annoying. Now, I like to keep my protagonists alive, and I’ve been improving my craft ever since winning a local contest in 2014 for my first-ever fantasy short story. In fact, I returned to school to earn a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from Humber in 2019. My writing group, made up of four other aspiring female authors, offers me ongoing moral support, inspiration and friendship. We meet weekly to spur each other on—and sometimes those spurs are extremely sharp, but they always boot me in the right direction!
My number one goal as an author is to entertain, and it warms my heart that you’re reading this. In January, 2023, my first novel, So Hard to Do, is scheduled for publication. It’s a bubbly romantic-comedy with Shakespearean twists; I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Meanwhile, if you’re curious about where you can find my other stories, you’ll find the info on my website, https://www.sallybasmajian.com/. I promise I’ll keep writing down the many tales that are stuffed in my head, and I’ll make them as engaging as I possibly can.
Thanks for being a reader—my reader. It means the world to me.
Sally B
Post-university, my transition to reality was rougher than rough. Eventually, having the desire to afford an occasional meal, I segued into advertising and marketing, ending up on the corporate side of broadcasting. In fact, I used to greenlight or turn down proposals for television series. Karma is having a lovely time now, as it tickles me with occasional publishing contracts or prizes, but punches me with brutal rejections, too.
It doesn’t matter—I love to write, more so than I ever enjoyed practicing arpeggios or selling ad spots on network television. As a teenager, I filled stacks of diaries with angst-filled entries—although I didn’t win any academic prizes for writing, because I had a bad habit of killing off my characters when they became too annoying. Now, I like to keep my protagonists alive, and I’ve been improving my craft ever since winning a local contest in 2014 for my first-ever fantasy short story. In fact, I returned to school to earn a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from Humber in 2019. My writing group, made up of four other aspiring female authors, offers me ongoing moral support, inspiration and friendship. We meet weekly to spur each other on—and sometimes those spurs are extremely sharp, but they always boot me in the right direction!
My number one goal as an author is to entertain, and it warms my heart that you’re reading this. In January, 2023, my first novel, So Hard to Do, is scheduled for publication. It’s a bubbly romantic-comedy with Shakespearean twists; I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Meanwhile, if you’re curious about where you can find my other stories, you’ll find the info on my website, https://www.sallybasmajian.com/. I promise I’ll keep writing down the many tales that are stuffed in my head, and I’ll make them as engaging as I possibly can.
Thanks for being a reader—my reader. It means the world to me.
Sally B
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 20, 2019
5 Stars!
Nice collection of short stories. What a great way to find new author's books to read. Even though they're each unique, the common theme is romance, and the book flowed well as I read it straight through.
Nice collection of short stories. What a great way to find new author's books to read. Even though they're each unique, the common theme is romance, and the book flowed well as I read it straight through.
August 2, 2019
I got this book from the publisher, since I had reviewed an earlier book of theirs, A Kiss and a Promise, an anthology of romantic stories with a twist.
This book too has its twists.
And again, I loved it.
As the stories were written by different authors, I will try to give a very, very short review or summary to each of the stories.
Too Close To School ~ Michael Bracken: sad and healing
Que Sera, Sera ~ Ginny Swart: funny, perhaps predictable, but I liked it nonetheless.
Treasure Hunt ~ Dev Bentham: I loved the cunning aunt in the story.
Damage, Cosmetic Only ~ Anita Goveas: two lovers, torn between cultures, trying to cope.
The Stranger At The Library ~ Anusha VR: two people attracted to each other but not really daring to admit this.
Let Down Your Hair ~ Catherine Valenti: I liked this modern fairy tale with a bite.
Appetite Delight ~ Sally Basmajian: about doing things for other people, in stead of doing what you really like and in the end finding the partner you long for.
The Wheels On The Bus ~ Ilene Goldman: I loved this one about a chance meeting: will they meet each other again or ...
Pinkie Swear ~ Laurie Axinn Gienapp: Some people take a very long time to realize what their feelings are.
Critical Error ~ Meg Overman: Sweet, strange and very funny SF.
Green Eggs And Cameras ~ Emorie Hill: I loved this story, the clumsiness, Mr Hunk and the real hunk.
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do ~ Ginny Swart: It is a lovely story about an untidy woman and a finicky man but to be honest: too good to be true.
Abandoned Art ~ Madison Estes: This story leads you nicely to a happy ending.
Push To Talk ~ Jonathan Ochoco: I loved the story about a scared man and a woman who talks him through his fear.
A Spicy Admirer ~ Meagan Noel Hart: I didn't see the end coming; I liked it very much.
The Man Who Didn’t Like Children ~ Jacqueline Seewald: I suppose I am too old for this: the pace of the story was by far too fast for me.
Afterlife ~ Dev Bentham: Sweet story about love between a grandmother and her grandson and what she does at the end of her life for him.
Cupid’s Arrow ~ Tricia Schneider: This story too was fun. Girl meets boy who is 'too good to be true.' All sorts of magical things ensue. Magical or not, the story was quite convincing.
This book too has its twists.
And again, I loved it.
As the stories were written by different authors, I will try to give a very, very short review or summary to each of the stories.
Too Close To School ~ Michael Bracken: sad and healing
Que Sera, Sera ~ Ginny Swart: funny, perhaps predictable, but I liked it nonetheless.
Treasure Hunt ~ Dev Bentham: I loved the cunning aunt in the story.
Damage, Cosmetic Only ~ Anita Goveas: two lovers, torn between cultures, trying to cope.
The Stranger At The Library ~ Anusha VR: two people attracted to each other but not really daring to admit this.
Let Down Your Hair ~ Catherine Valenti: I liked this modern fairy tale with a bite.
Appetite Delight ~ Sally Basmajian: about doing things for other people, in stead of doing what you really like and in the end finding the partner you long for.
The Wheels On The Bus ~ Ilene Goldman: I loved this one about a chance meeting: will they meet each other again or ...
Pinkie Swear ~ Laurie Axinn Gienapp: Some people take a very long time to realize what their feelings are.
Critical Error ~ Meg Overman: Sweet, strange and very funny SF.
Green Eggs And Cameras ~ Emorie Hill: I loved this story, the clumsiness, Mr Hunk and the real hunk.
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do ~ Ginny Swart: It is a lovely story about an untidy woman and a finicky man but to be honest: too good to be true.
Abandoned Art ~ Madison Estes: This story leads you nicely to a happy ending.
Push To Talk ~ Jonathan Ochoco: I loved the story about a scared man and a woman who talks him through his fear.
A Spicy Admirer ~ Meagan Noel Hart: I didn't see the end coming; I liked it very much.
The Man Who Didn’t Like Children ~ Jacqueline Seewald: I suppose I am too old for this: the pace of the story was by far too fast for me.
Afterlife ~ Dev Bentham: Sweet story about love between a grandmother and her grandson and what she does at the end of her life for him.
Cupid’s Arrow ~ Tricia Schneider: This story too was fun. Girl meets boy who is 'too good to be true.' All sorts of magical things ensue. Magical or not, the story was quite convincing.
April 29, 2019
Included in this anthology:
Too Close to School by Michael Bracken
Que Sera, Sera by Ginny Swart
Treasure Hunt by Dev Bentham
Damage, Cosmetic Only by Anita Goveas
The Stranger at the Library by Anusha VR
Let Your Hair Down by Catherine Valenti
Appetite Delight by Sally Basmajian
The Wheels on the Bus by Ilene Goldman
Pinkie Swear by Laurie Axinn Gienapp
Critical Error by Meg Overman
Green Eggs and Cameras by Emorie Hill
Breaking Up is Hard to Do by Ginny Swart
Abandoned Art by Madison Estes
Push to Talk by Jonathan Ochoco
A Spicy Admirer by Meagan Noel Hart
The Man Who Didn't Like Children by Jacqueline Seewald
Afterlife by Dev Bentham
Cupid's Arrow by Tricia Schneider
Too Close to School by Michael Bracken
Que Sera, Sera by Ginny Swart
Treasure Hunt by Dev Bentham
Damage, Cosmetic Only by Anita Goveas
The Stranger at the Library by Anusha VR
Let Your Hair Down by Catherine Valenti
Appetite Delight by Sally Basmajian
The Wheels on the Bus by Ilene Goldman
Pinkie Swear by Laurie Axinn Gienapp
Critical Error by Meg Overman
Green Eggs and Cameras by Emorie Hill
Breaking Up is Hard to Do by Ginny Swart
Abandoned Art by Madison Estes
Push to Talk by Jonathan Ochoco
A Spicy Admirer by Meagan Noel Hart
The Man Who Didn't Like Children by Jacqueline Seewald
Afterlife by Dev Bentham
Cupid's Arrow by Tricia Schneider
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews