Lois Bennett spent her graduate years at Kent State University in Ohio, earning her Masters degree during the turmoil of May 4, 1970. A specialist degree followed two years later in education and psychology, and a Ph.D. in administration and psychology. She spent much of her career in an Ohio school district as psychologist and director of special education. During that time, she served for three years as a member of the Ohio State Board of School Psychology.

Bennett also maintanted a part-time private psychological practice, leading eventually to joining Counseling Consultants as chief psychologist and trainee supervisor. Throughout her professional career, she periodically wrote non-fiction articles for professional journals, weekly columns for local newspapers and an occasional short story. Never having been an animal lover, it seemd ironic that her first short story was published in Dog Fancy Magazine. Needless to say, she took a lot of ribbing from her brothers over that.

More recently, in Florida, she served for two years as a weekly newspaper correspondent and she completed two novels in the thriller genre. When the opportunity to partner with Joan West as literary agents became a reality, Bennett transferred her creative expression from writing novels to writing query letters for her growing client base.

Joan West holds a B.A. and an M.A. in psychology and a Ph.D. in sociology. For several years she did clinical work, both in private practice and at agencies. Later, she taught at the college level, continuing to write papers and articles for presentation and for the academic press.

She currently writes fiction and non-fiction for consumer magazines and is a weekly columnist for The Village Daily Sun.

During the years as a college professor, she was a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Collegiate Press and a member of doctoral committees. These positions revolved around the evaluation of college textbooks and advising doctoral students on their dissertations and editing same.

For several years prior to her academic work, West edited Woman Talk Magazine. Recognizing a need for agents, especially those who will consider the work of unpublished authors, she began her agency in the summer of 2005. By the beginning of 2006, the volume of queries and partial and full manuscripts that she received daily was overwhelming.

Lois Bennett with qualifications similar to West's joined her and the two formed a partnership resulting in the Bennett and West Literary Agency.

Currently the agency handles eighty plus clients in the areas of fiction and nonfiction.