Terry P. Verduin (Pen Name: V. R. Duin)
SUMMARY:
Began her writing career in the translation of corporate legal communications for large and small companies/organizations. Transitioned to writing legal documents, pleadings, appellate briefs, etc., as an attorney in the practice of disability and government benefits law. In 2012, she initialed the final stage in her transition from processing formulaic and repetitive documents in huge volumes to the full-time creation and promotion of original and concise, rhyming children’s stories.
HIGHLIGHTS
Developed Platform: Obtained registered trademarks for Goopy Ghost book series, allied products and for V. R. Duin pen name; fleshed out characters in each sequel, tested productions in libraries, schools and on-line; established on-line presence and developed expertise in publishing and book promotion.
Built Team: Collaborates with Editors; Illustration, Design and Publishing Teams; Allied Product Suppliers. For full listing see www.vrduin.com
Published Books:
The Goopy Ghost of Halloween:
In this brightly illustrated children’s beginning reader, V. R. Duin creates an unforgettable character—one that is gooey, goopy and wonderfully ghostly. Let’s just say that this Halloween, you will look at the plight of your pumpkin in a whole new light. When the innermost innards of a carefully carved pumpkin come back to life, Steven and Sally will learn three important lessons in the wee hours of the final day of October. They will discover that the spirit of a pumpkin will return to its brightly lit home, that a goopy ghost can eat its weight in chocolates and sweets, and that a goopy ghost has more than a few tricks up its sleeve. Think Casper the Friendly Ghost, think The Great Pumpkin, think wildly imaginative and slightly spooky, think big fun for your little one on Halloween.
The Goopy Ghost at Thanksgiving:
In this vibrantly illustrated rhyming children’s book, a storm threatens to ruin Thanksgiving and run the Browns from their home. Enter Goopy to scare up some fun for the entire family. The hijinks heighten when the storm literally lifts the house from the ground, and plants it down in a new spot. Charming, colorful, and wildly imaginative, this story is an entertaining way to encourage young children to overcome fears, from thunderstorms to silly ghosts. Positive and playful, the brightly illustrated book offers an ideal way to explore the meaning of Thanksgiving and explains how Goopy keeps reappearing from different pumpkins.
The Goopy Ghost at Christmas:
Ecstatic, fun, and, once again, unforgettable, this story is a holiday treat that proves that Christmas is one of the most boo-tiful seasons of the year. Move over, Rudolph. Take it easy, Frosty. Beware, Jack Frost. There’s only one Goopy Ghost who is bound and determined to have fun all year long. Fresh from the discarded pumpkin pie goop, the Goopy Ghost is showing the “spirit” of the season by tasting the yummy cookies and candy canes and by helping to redecorate the home. Lilly, the little girl whose house is being haunted, wants the ghost to stay, and is all about wishes for a very merry Christmas when Goopy Ghost takes a sneak peek in a big bag and accidentally rides shotgun with The Man in Red. With Santa’s sleigh bound for the North Pole even the elves will get a chance to spend a little time with Goopy Ghost in the spreading of goo-goo-good will.
The Goopy Ghost at Valentine’s Day:
You might think ghosts don’t need anyone, but they’re all soul. So, this Valentine’s Day, heart-shaped chocolates, silly rhymes, and sweet nothings aside, there’s something Goopy wants more than anything—a soul mate and kindred spirit to share adventures with. With February’s freeze, it will take some doing, but Cupid is bound and determined to help Goopy find a friend. Cupid searches high and low for a flowering, seed-filled plant with enough goop to make a go of it, but alas, it’s not until he focuses his efforts on the Southern Hemisphere that friendship blooms—or in this case bursts. Ultimately, there’s a lesson here too; making friends can take some doing, but it’s worth it—and not just so we have warm bodies to celebrate the holidays with—friends make everyday living all that much sweeter.
The Goopy Ghost at St. Patrick’s Day:
Goopy gets into another adventure, and this one has our bright orange spirit mixing it up with leprechauns on St. Patrick’s Day. In this new book in V. R. Duin’s richly illustrated children’s book series, the Goopy Ghost must rescue a leprechaun and win back his stolen pot of gold to save St. Patrick’s Day. Written in Irish limerick verse, this engaging, humorous, and fun adventure will bring the joy of St. Patrick’s Day to young children and the adults in their lives. This story, with a wise moral, is sure to capture the imaginations of young ones and transport them to an emerald isle full of whimsy and enchantment.
The Amazing Flight of Little Ray:
A young stingray with his head in the clouds takes to the air on an unforgettable flight that will have the oceans and the heavens chuckling for years. It isn’t that Little Ray has it rough. It’s pretty great to be a stingray and there sure are a lot of fishes in the deep blue sea to play with and keep him company. The thing is, Little Ray is just more than a little bored with his humdrum ocean—and the sky is the limit. One afternoon he hatches a fine fancy to fly like an eagle or a seagull or even an osprey and today is the day that Little Ray will take his rather impractical plan and with a skip and a jump and a little luck, soar into the great unknown. It proves to be the ride of a lifetime, and when he has difficulty returning to the big blue sea from the big blue sky, it will take a little ingenuity and a little luck to ensure his splish-splashy homecoming. Hurray for Little Ray! It isn’t every day that a stingray learns how to fly.
The Foxy Armadillos:
This charming trip takes us into the armadillo hole of the cutest, sweetest family of critters ever! The armadillo family, knowing they are watched by the farmers, go about doing what armadillos do—until one day Sis, Boom, and Ba are led to a startling discovery that changes everything for the whole family! No more would they have to spend their time digging around in the ground for bugs. This was a group the farmers are happy to have around. But when that mean old fox comes looking to move back in, the armadillo clan is going to have to do some fast thinking to save their new home. This lovable, cuddly little troop of armadillos shows the way our world can work together to thrive and prosper.
Little Ray and Shark Patch Things Up:
A little stingray is playing in the water as his boating friends delight in watching from their boat. When a menacing bull shark mistakes all the commotion for a yummy lunch, however, it sets off a chain of events that results in the unlikeliest friendship on the seven seas. A wildly imaginative and engaging tale, V.R. Duin’s latest in the Little Ray series keeps the adventures exciting and the positive energy flowing!