I M Vayne

What can I say, I.M. a reader, not an author. Having grown up dirt poor as the saying goes, and not improved much on the condition during the ensuing years, I.M. reads free stories, and even that sometimes stretches I.M.'s budget . Maybe someday I.M. will write a story of I.M.'s life, though compared to what I.M. reads it sure won't be a best seller.

I.M. does try to be honest in I.M.'s reviews and if an author shouldn't be writing, I.M. will say it. On the other hand, if an author shows promise I.M. will encourage them. Unfortunately very few free stories are really good, but that is why I.M. keeps reading them, because some day I. M. might find the next Bore Vidal, and after that everyone he reads has got to be better.

• Mildred Is Serving Her Golden Years ... One Sentence At A Time on March 28, 2013
  
  So true, oh so true. Thanks for the laughs. Looking forward to more sentences from Mildred.
  
• Smashwords Writing Duel on March 28, 2013
  
  You sure made it hard for anyone to post a negative review, what with the person sitting on our shoulder. I liked the fact that the more I read the more engrossed in the story I became. The only criticism I have is that the Linda character may have been a little weak, but that in no way detracts for what I read. Plus I could really relate as I have posted reviews but am still hard a work on my own masterpiece.
  
• The Many Different Handbag Fashions Throughout The Years on April 01, 2013
  
  Enjoyed this well written history of something we all see but really know nothing about (other than the name Prada). And no problem with your little bit of self promotion at the end, why not toot your own horn.
  
• Sheriff Gregg & The Painted Lady on April 01, 2013
  (no rating)
  I liked it. Great story telling that kept drawing me in, and the ending, it was just the thing. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
  
• Sheriff Gregg & The Butterfield Sequestrian Society on April 01, 2013
  
  I was with you up until near the end, then the twists and turns lost me. Maybe it is because my mind is not as convoluted as yours. Our maybe it because you took the story off the deep end. Still, it was a most enjoyable read with more than a few laughs along the way.
  
• Marked Urgent on April 04, 2013
  
  Great little story, sucked me right in and had me laughing. Usually four letter words are added only for shock value, but in this case they fit perfectly. Please keep writing.
  
• The Sign of the Fiddler Crab on April 05, 2013
  
  Excellent story. Liked how it built to the ending. Please keep writing.
  
• I Didn't Mean to Kill My Best Friend on April 05, 2013
  
  Unfortunately the font used in this story renders it unreadable.
  
• Life After on April 05, 2013
  
  Great story. Excellent blend of humor and what's next.
  
• Jet Black and the Escape from Culver City on May 11, 2013
  
  WOW! What a great find. Can't wait to see what Jet and his friends barely escape from in the next book. Thanks for the good read.
  
• A Waltz Yes, a Heart No on May 12, 2013
  
  Do opposites attract? Does outward appearance reveal the inner person? Is what we want the same as what we need? All this and more is woven within the context of a very entertaining short story that has you wondering what's next. No fractured grammar or run sentences here, rather an author who it would appear writes, rewrites and edits. And it shows.
  
• The Vern Stephens Operation on May 12, 2013
  
  The author says he tries in his fiction "to make it real and believable as well as entertaining." In this book he definitely succeeds. It is listed in both the Christian and Inspirational categories, but it never really pushes religion and it isn't syrupy sweet like too many so-called inspirational books. A nice slow buildup of the characters has you rooting for them, but still there are twists to the narrative and the end is left open to continuing the changes in the life of the main character.
  
• The Teacher Syndrome on May 13, 2013
  
  Don't want to discourage the author from continuing to write, but you really need to rewrite and proofread your stories before posting. I agree with the other reviewer that your story has potential. Still, along with the technical faults the characters just weren't developed enough. The way you get better is to keep writing, which I hope you will.
  
• Small Town Doctor on Sep. 13, 2013
  
  Excellent!!
  
• A Voyage Of Self Discovery on Sep. 22, 2013
  
  A new word has joined my vocabulary, the author's "Unincredibelievable", which once you understand what it means, provides an apt description of this wonderful tale of a dental corps officer's life during WW II. Thanks for the great read.
  
• The River Ghost Gang on Sep. 22, 2013
  
  The cover art is excellent. The title is intriguing. Unfortunately from that point on it goes rapidly downhill. It's like trying to roll a snowball after a a lake effect snowfall begins melting. At first it is nice white snow, then it begins to pick up leaves, twigs, grass and eventually dirt before it falls apart under its own weight. Besides the poor construction of sentences the story is riddled with missing words, and both grammatical, and punctuation errors making me wonder if it wasn't a first draft that was inadvertently published. I don't want to discourage the author from writing stories because I really enjoy reading Christian fiction, but.... "There was a town that I will not name that is on that route." or "On the way out of the café I passed by a store that sold perfume, and odd things plus postcards." or "Now my problem was I was suppose to be in Kenton by the next afternoon." or "After I had dinner and over stayed my welcome, I felt, I headed for the river bank."
  
• Free Gifts on Sep. 22, 2013
  
  Great read, very funny. Brought back memories of my past and soggy paper delivery mornings before school. Wonder what would have happened had she pushed that "Poppins Mode" button!
  
• Today and Everyday on Sep. 23, 2013
  
  Enjoyed the story, just wish you had made it longer and fleshed out the characters a little more.
  
• Sanctuary on Oct. 01, 2013
  
  What a great short story. Drew me right in and kept me wondering what was coming next. Great twist on a familiar setting, plus an ending I never saw coming.
  
• The Battle of Belmont on Oct. 05, 2013
  
  Thank you for posting something different on Smashwords. To bad you didn't have several modern maps to provide a better understanding of the engagement, but still, it was an interesting treatise on the development of Grant in the war.
  
• A Very Foggy Christmas on Oct. 18, 2013
  
  What can I say, I loved every word of this hilarious story. Rowan Atkinson or Jim Carey should star in a movie based on this wonderful, laugh every sentence tale. Now I have to read the rest of Jo Edwards stories. Too bad the ratings only go to 5 stars as it deserves more.
  
• The Kid on Oct. 20, 2013
  
  Nice quick read. Wish there were more western shorts on Smashwords.
  
• The Last Stage on Oct. 24, 2013
  
  Short but sweet. This conflict was probably repeated many times in the old west, but it was nice to be inside his head as he came to his decision.
  
• A Quiet Man on Oct. 24, 2013
  
  Always be nice to a quiet man!
  
• Unspoken Promises (Intro to Western Escape) on Oct. 25, 2013
  
  I agree the end was big let down. It was like the author had this great idea for couple to have a misunderstanding then didn't know how to explain the misunderstanding.
  
• He and She on Oct. 28, 2013
  
  Well written short that has you wondering what's next.
  
• Damaged Goods on Nov. 09, 2013
  
  Excellent! Left me wondering what the next chapter in their lives would be.
  
• Third Time Lucky on Nov. 14, 2013
  
  Nice short read. I too thought the dialogue was a little too trite, but then as the depth of the characters kept unfolding, it began to fit them perfectly. Please keep writing.
  
• When Getting Out Of Bed Is A Bad Idea on Nov. 14, 2013
  
  Indeed, it was a very bad day for Cynthia, but thank goodness she had Melville. Thanks for the read.
  
• Showtime on Nov. 18, 2013
  
  I really tried to get into this tale, but try as I might I couldn't. There may be something here here, but I was able to find it. I hope the author keeps writing and explores other avenues to express her talent.
  
• Waterloo Bridge on Nov. 21, 2013
  
  Very nicely done with a character that came to life.
  
• Razza Ma'Razza: It's Called a Snuggly Puff, Silly Boy on Nov. 24, 2013
  
  This is laugh out loud funny. More! More!
  
• A Caller on Christmas Eve on Dec. 16, 2013
  
  Well written story that page by page draws the reader further into the mysterious and enchanting world of "The Caller". Thank you for an unusual, yet wonderful, Christmas story.
  
• Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor on Dec. 16, 2013
  
  I don't know if this is a fictionalized account of the authors ancestors or not. It doesn't matter because this is a very good story of what the life of a poor immigrant was like. While there were several places where the story seemed to drag and the temptation to skip ahead caused me to bypass some of the story, all in all it was a very good read.
  
• War in Heaven on Dec. 16, 2013
  
  I.M. is not adverse to reading something that is different. Unfortunately I.M. could not understand what the author had in mind when this work was written.
  
• Uchiki on Dec. 16, 2013
  
  One persons "A nice flash satire and food for thought" is another persons drivel.
  
• The Offices of M. Coopersmith on Dec. 18, 2013
  
  What great stumble upon! It reminds me what we used to watch on Twilight Zone. Definitely 5 stars.
  
• Mystery on Maple Hill on Dec. 19, 2013
  
  A very nice read with a moral. Not nearly as heavy handed as many of the stories with a Christian bent, and it fits nicely in the Western Frontier category. For a first story it was much better than what we typically see on Smashwords. Please keep writing.
  
• My Final Encounter with the Purple Scooter Lady on Dec. 19, 2013
  
  Nice twist at the end.
  
• Life Everlasting on Dec. 20, 2013
  
  Thank you for the excellent story.
  
• The Little Catfish on Dec. 22, 2013
  
  Proof of the adage that all writers write, but not all who write are writers.
  
• C-Cameron: Donald Cameron's Memoirs of World War II in Bomber Command on Dec. 23, 2013
  
  What a wonderful account of one man's experiences during WW II. Please read it, you won't be disappointed.
  
• Thyme Crisis on Dec. 23, 2013
  
  This is great, am still laughing. More please, if you enough thyme that is.
  
• Neo Health: The Primer on Dec. 28, 2013
  
  Interesting and thought provoking.
  
• They Shoot Weddings, Don't They? on Dec. 29, 2013
  
  What a great read. The authors style is very engaging and at times the laughs come one after the other. Highly recommended.
  
• Orbit the Sun on Jan. 07, 2014
  
  Another excellent story by a great story teller. Can't wait for the next episode in this new series.
  
• Drive Coil on Jan. 13, 2014
  
  A quick but interesting read. Nice twist at the end.
  
• Good Note on Jan. 21, 2014
  
  Excellent story! It moves fast, sucks you in and leaves you deep in thought when it ends. Highly recommended.
  
• The First Thing He Noticed Was Her Legs on Feb. 05, 2014
  
  A loser looks at the outward appearance of person and judges. A winner looks to what is inside a person and rejoices. Thanks for a wonderful little story that made my day.
  
• A Love Awry on Feb. 05, 2014
  
  A quick, but enjoyable read with an unanswered question left hanging in the air at the end. I do confess to having some trouble with this line though: "She walked over to the window and sat down on the windowpane." It may have passed spell checker, but it doesn't pass the how do you sit on a windowpane test. Nonetheless, it rates 5 stars. (review of free book)
  
• The Man on the Corner on Feb. 07, 2014
  
  How lucky we readers are when a very good author posts a story for free, or in this case, two stories for free.
  
• Runaway Slave on Feb. 10, 2014
  
  Quick read with moral lesson, just wish the characters had been developed to a greater degree. For example, what had caused Mr. Tolle to break with the prevalent thinking of Southern plantation owners regarding slaves?
  
• Snipe Hunting on Feb. 10, 2014
  
  Great twist on a rite of passage so many boys, myself included, know all to well, or at least they think they do. Did notice a few grammatical errors but they don't detract from the story.
  
• Light Mayo on Feb. 10, 2014
  
  Since humor is in the mind of the beholder as the saying goes, I will let those with a mind different than mine see the humor in this.
  
• Second Chances on April 17, 2014
  
  I tried. I really tried to red the story as the premise sounded interesting. When the author formats the story with centering it screams that they don't give a darn about the readers. As Forrest Gump said, Stupid is as stupid does and this author is definitely stupid.
  
• The Third of July: A Romantic Holiday Story on April 30, 2014
  
  A story of real people who display real fears and real inner strengths. A very easy five stars.
  
• Stay in Berlin on June 09, 2014
  
  Great Read! I don't want to give away any of the story, but suffice it to say that it was so well written I didn't know what this very conflicted young woman was going to do until right up at the very end. To sum it up, this very well may be the best story I have ever read on Smashwords.
  
• My Love Paul on Oct. 25, 2014
  
  Interesting cover art that caught my attention. An intriguing premise based on the synopsis, however the story differs from the synopsis. To quote the synopsis, " ...but when the cops begin pointing fingers at his mistress she learns she just might get away with it." Nowhere in the story is there any reference, even obliquely, to those events. The spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure, to be kind, need attention. Perhaps this was a rough draft that was inadvertently published by its author? On a positive note, the author's love of writing is apparent and hopefully she will continue to develop her skills. A suggestion would be for the author submit this story, just as it is published here, to her creative writing professor for an honest critical review.
  
• Lost and Found on Nov. 06, 2014
  
  Very believable. Really enjoyed it.
  
• A Yondering on Nov. 06, 2014
  
  Louis L'Amour you're not.
  
• Vine of Mine on Nov. 08, 2014
  
  Not a big fan of poetry but I enjoyed this one.
  
• The Christmas Project (Stories From Hartford) on Nov. 12, 2014
  
  Friends that want to be more than friends, but each is afraid to do anything for fear of losing the others friendship. Well written, nicely paced, and even though the outcome is obvious, it continued to hold my attention. While it is listed in the Christian category in addition to the Holiday category it is very, very low key in regards to the religious aspect.
  
• Can Love Wait? on Nov. 12, 2014
  
  Thanks for a very interesting and absorbing read.
  
• Someone Old, Someone New, Someone Borrowed And Someone... Blue? on Nov. 12, 2014
  
  At first I was surprised no one had reviewed this story, then I started to read it. Or I should say I tried to read it. Characters thrown at the the reader willy-nilly, with no idea who was who and what was what. I quickly became so confused as to what was taking place that I had to stop reading for a while. Unfortunately when I came back to the story, nothing made any more sense than before. I'm sure there is something there but I simply couldn't follow what was taking place and gave up. I'll give the author a generous two stars for trying.
  
• The Chocklit Shoppe on Nov. 12, 2014
  
  This is a difficult story to review primarily because it is obvious the author's first language is not English so it is riddle with grammatical errors. Casting that aside, it is a very heart warming story with a feel good ending. I hope the author continues to write, but would suggest she try to get a editor to assist her in order to make her stories easier to read. All in all a good read.