Denise grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, a city that enjoys unique traditions like Mardi Gras, Jazz Festivals, and Debutante balls. The food is like no other in the world. Visitors can taste a thick stew called gumbo; munch on puffy, powdered, square-shaped donuts called beignets; sample a rice dish called jambalaya; and eat spicy red crustaceans called crawfish.

New Orleans, the "Crescent City," is also known as the "Birthplace of Jazz." This kind of music began in the early 1900's when New Orleans musicians began to change the sound of ordinary music into something lively and exciting. Louis Armstrong is one of New Orleans' most famous jazz musicians. His song, "It's a Wonderful World" is known worldwide!

In the beginning, she wrote stories about her three daughters but when her son D.J. was seven years old, he had the opportunity to ride in a Mardi Gras parade. So Denise wrote a story about his ride. She submitted it to a publisher and D.J. and the Zulu Parade became her first children's book.

That book led to two other stories about the intrepid boy: D.J. and the Jazz Fest and D.J. and the Debutante Ball. Denise says with a twinkle in her eye, "I used to tell DJ that because he was 'such a character,' I was going to keep him frozen at age seven."

Denise often advises aspiring young authors, "Do you have any interesting or funny characters in your family? If you do, you may want to write a story about them. I did!"

For Denise, the adventure continues. She says, "I still have many other stories to write about D.J. but I promised my daughters to get some of their stories published too. It's fun to write about people in your family."

Preserving cultural traditions through family stories is important to Denise. It's how she grew up and it's what she passes on. Like the stately Oak trees that line St. Charles Avenue or the Steamboats boats that dance on the Mighty Mississippi, Denise McConduit is truly a New Orleans treasure.