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Barbara Daniels Dena
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For the Soul (The Soul Series) Kindle Edition

by Barbara Daniels Dena (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 36 ratings
See all formats and editions
Memories and fiction fill this collection with humor, heartwarming compassion, and spine-tingling fright from the author's own experiences and an imagination she can barely control. Quilts, children, and dogs have always played a large part in the author's life. Therefore, it is not surprising to find stories of warm quilts wrapped around her tales or tails.

A trait the reader discovers in Barbara's writing is that much like life, nothing within the covers of this book will be what one expects.
Previous page
  1. Part of series
    The Soul Series
  2. Print length
    228 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    August 19, 2021
  6. Grade level
    10 - 12
  7. File size
    4141 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for 'Readers' Favorite'


"For the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories was written by Barbara Daniels-Dena."
Quilts, children, and dogs - what more can life offer? Well, stories, of course. And, where there are quilts, children, and dogs, there's bound to be lots of stories. Life is full of stories: funny stories, heart-wrenching and heart-warming stories, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Like the author, I recall spending hours rifling through my grandmother's button box. There were all kinds of buttons: large, small, brightly colored, shiny, or dull. These buttons were a source of inspiration for stories, learning to count, learning the colors, and just savoring the precious moments spent with my grandmother. Life and those accessories we collect during our lifetime are full of stories. But so are our imaginations, our dreams, and the random thoughts that swirl around in our heads - so many stories to share.

Barbara Daniels-Dena's book, For the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories, is a marvelous collection of stories the author wrote through the years. Each one is dated and, like the one about the black-turned-white crow with a hidden agenda and a secret message, there is often a footnote of what or who inspired the story. Each story is complete and succinctly told with great attention to detail, though often sparsely revealed in the author's clever way of leaving the spaces between the lines loaded with veiled messages. The plots are compelling and the characters well defined, making this collection an enjoyable read: not to be read all at once, but to be savored over time.

~5-Star Awarded Book Review Given By Readers' Favorite

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09D8SV1S9
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 19, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4141 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 228 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 36 ratings

About the author

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Barbara Daniels Dena

Barbara Daniels Dena

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Barbara Daniels Dena is an indie author and influential writer of an eclectic collection of short stories that include many genres. Book one, "For the Soul: A Collection of Short Stories," was released in August 2021, and book two, titled "One Soul's Journey," was released on Jan. 25th, 2023. Her books are available on Amazon Books, Amazon Kindle, and many fine online book sites.

The stories are almost a memoir of inspiring and unique stories of 'good ole fashioned living,' along with many humorous past and present memories that will tug on the heart, fictional tall tales, and some children's tales delighting readers worldwide. Barbara began writing at an early age as a lover of "Make-Believe." Today, her writing has developed from memories of family and 'life unexpected with various compilations of events in her life, and her love of animals. She is willing to admit that her vivid imagination plays a role in her stories.

The author is an Illinois native who has lived in many places. As Barb says, I am like a free-spirited "Gypsy." She has lived and worked in Illinois, Washington, Colorado, Montana, Missouri, and Georgia, but ultimately, returned home and settled back in the Quad Cities area of Illinois. She is a proud mother of two grown children. She was a business owner, ran a temporary employment agency, then transitioned into her passion for floral design, and opened two floral shops. When she isn't writing, Barbara spends her free time oil painting and enjoys quilting, knitting, and reading. Her favorite book is "Death Be Not Proud" by John J. Gunther.

Her first love is her fur baby, a little Yorkie named Zoe. She continues to write from her cozy nook as she gazes over a pond full of geese and ducks. On many days it is more gazing than writing.

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
36 global ratings
Excellent book. A must read
5 Stars
Excellent book. A must read
Reading FOR THE SOUL by Barbara Daniels Dena, I had to keep reminding myself that she and I were not related. Some of her stories could have been my stories. It was as if she reached into my past and pulled out beautiful memories that had been long forgotten.There isn’t a single story that was not beautifully written, and I can’t say I have a favorite, because I loved each one. I want to thank her for the following memories,BOX OF KEYS—More than a junk drawer, and certainly more than a hoarded collection. Her story about the box of keys is my story. My box of keys include the first key to the lock installed on my grandmother’s front door—a door that had gone unlocked for more than 40-years. The door is gone, so is the house. The key remains. I have so many memories in the shape of keys. I’m happy to know I’m not the only one.GRANDMA’S BUTTON BOX—Once, people retained buttons, because at that time clothes were mended and new buttons were sewn on. I have my grandmother’s button basket. A small basket of tightly woven reed with a matching lid. Inside are buttons made of bone, metal, and plastic. She kept a small paper bag with several large brown buttons she said were made of amber-color Bakelite. She would never use them because they were too good to be used.THE WEDDING RING—My sister and I were sent to my great grandmother’s house to clean it out. The house had been taken by the coal company that owned the property. It sat empty for over 20-years. It was my older sister’s idea to go check it out. It was empty, except for memories. We looked in each room, and sifted through years of dust and debris, and took home the frame of a broken screen door that my sister beautifully restored.Barbara’s book gave me hours of enjoyment and a lifetime of memories. I highly recommend you fall in love with this book.
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Top reviews from the United States

Robert A. Karl
5.0 out of 5 stars Consistently surprising and delightful!
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2024
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What can I say? Every story in this collection is a gem. The author's talent for telling stories well is apparent throughout the book. And what a variety! Characters, scenes, mini-plots, all done with touches of humor, grace and tenderness. The footnotes and anecdotes after stories provide context into the inspirations and origins of the tales. Very nice touch!

But the main thing here is the stories themselves. Beautifully written, on such a wide variety of topics and themes. Do I have some favorites? The answer is Yes. But I will leave that for each reader to find for themselves. Some stories touched my heart. Others reminded me of something similar in my life. Some were totally outside of my experiences. But each one is a treasure and a pleasure!

I highly recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys reading good stories.
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Carmen Baca, author
5.0 out of 5 stars For the Soul is one of those books which touches the heart.
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2024
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Stories of relevant scenarios, anecdotes about families, youthful nostalgia, moments in time, and even animals become memorable characters in Barbara Daniels Dena’s For the Soul. Her human characters resemble people we’ve known who experience life events we can relate to. They evoke our empathy, sympathy, laughter, or understanding. Her animal characters offer whimsical or touching moments, entertaining us with their antics or their unique insight into human nature. For the Soul is one of those books which touches the heart.
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Daisy
5.0 out of 5 stars Pearls For A Lifetime
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2022
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What I find so enjoyable about a collection of short stories is they ask little of the reader. You don't have to remember where you left off reading. Nope, you simply turn the page and enter the next telling. For the Soul is a cornucopia of pure delight and insight. Barbara has quite a long affiliation with quilts that readers get a few woven samplers throughout the book.

There were wonderful readings when I felt like a female Will Rogers was telling me a stretch. On so many occasions, the author was at the right place at the right time, which brought her in front of the unexpected. Examples Chicago Train and Chaperone to the Marines.

And the award for the best story title writer goes to Barbara Dena. No one touches her gift for catchy titles. If asked to choose a favorite story, trust me, you can't. Each one is a little darling in its unique way. From the endeavor to breed angora rabbits to a grandpa's down-home wisdom, this author has you a fan from the first story.

Barbara gets around, and you're invited to come along for the ride. Don't be late.
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Cynthia
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and full of fun
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2022
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Beautiful stories about life, imagination and fun. There's even a great recipe in here for homemade chicken and noodles with homemade noodles. I'd never laughed reading a recipe before but I did when reading this one. It's told in such a delightful way you'll find yourself smelling the chicken cooking and wanting to hurry to sling that flour and mix in the eggs to make the noodles.
These stories are heartwarming and are just the thing to curl up with on chilly nights, even on a hot summer day. Trust me, these are simply wonderful stories. I enjoyed them on a nightly basis, reading them as person bedtime stories. I loved them all but the story of the girl and the dust-bunny band, and the chicken noodle story stand out. This is a book I will read again. I highly recommend it to everyone. We live in a mixed-up world. Take a break. Read a short story by Barbara Daniels Dena.
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Lena V.
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful heartwarming stories
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2022
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I really enjoyed reading all these wonderful stories. They included people of different ages and walks of life, combining author's personal experiences with flights of imagination. Everyone will find a few stories to relate to, a few to make them smile, a few to make them tear up, a few to take a lesson from, and all of them to warm their heart. I felt like I was sitting by the fire with warm chocolate and cookies while the author told me story after story.
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Vampire Hunter
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Slices of Life
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022
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This anthology of short stories is a delightful mix of anecdotes, with or without embellishment, and pure flights of fancy. Some tales will inspire smiles and others might evoke tears, but all are written with heart. I found the best stories to be the ones drawn from the author's rich pool of memories, tales of the people and animals she has known and the places she has lived. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes people...and even those who think they do not!
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R. Janet Walraven
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice variety
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2022
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These short stories were delightful, reminiscent, thoughtful, heartwarming, shocking. Something here for everyone. I found I didn't have to read straight through, rather chose whatever fit my mood.
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Pookie
5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2021
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This book was awesome. Each story filled me with emotion from joy and laughter to sadness and thoughtfulness. I would either laugh out loud or have a tear in my eye. I couldn’t put the book down. You wont go wrong by buying and reading it. I can’t wait until her next book comes out.
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Top reviews from other countries

Paula R C
5.0 out of 5 stars Snippets of American Life
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2022
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A wonderful wholesome small town American tales. I enjoyed learning about quilting and meeting the amazing characters in these tales.
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Paula R C
5.0 out of 5 stars Snippets of American Life
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2022
A wonderful wholesome small town American tales. I enjoyed learning about quilting and meeting the amazing characters in these tales.
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Raven
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is For the Soul
Reviewed in Australia on September 5, 2022
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This book captured me with its first story. The writing was polished and vibrant with characters, both humans and animals, alive and enchanting. Some stories resonated with me as I could identify with the characters. Some brought tears to my eyes. Others were heart stoppers. A few made me laugh. There were times when I would read a paragraph, or even a story twice before moving on, not because I didn’t understand it the first time, but because I was enjoying those written words so much that I wanted to read them again. Dotted with humorous thoughts by the protagonist of each story like Chicago Train when the character is watching ants scurrying to and fro at breakneck speed and wonders if “ants suffered from road rage”. Next time when I see a trail of ants running to and fro on my kitchen windowsill before the seasonal downpour, I too would wonder if ants suffered from road rage. Lol.
This wonderful collection of short stories, a mix of fiction and non-fiction, is indeed written For the Soul. Highly recommended.
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Hazel
3.0 out of 5 stars Not for me
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 17, 2023
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Only read a little of book 1 but had to delete both from my kindle because it was disjointed and weird. If you like weird then do buy it but I didn’t start book 2 as I was extremely disappointed to have wasted my money.
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