Mary Lois Sanders, DMA, Minister of Music, has served as a University Professor of Music, missionary to Brazil, and author. She has been Minister of Music in churches in Kansas, New Jersey, and Florida. She is active in several musical groups in this area, regularly performing in concerts. She has performed in and directed several operas and theatrical productions. As an author, she has written religious curricula, children's stories, short stories and books, winning several awards for her work. She maintains a music studio and offers courses and private instruction in voice. In 2005, she and her husband, Tom, served a missionary tour in China, teaching English as a Second Language.

Mary Lois received her bachelor's and master's degrees in music from Baylor University. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Voice and Church Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Mary Lois is active in the writing community in The Villages, Florida, and edits The Creative Writers' Notebook (www.courtjesterpublications.com), and the anthology created from the winning entries from their annual short story contest. She is a four-year alumnus of the St. George Island Writers' Retreat. She has twice taught dynamic workshops on how to edit writing.

According to a recent Court Jester Publications website release, "November 2009: The Florida Writers Association (FWA) has announced that two of CWN’s own have won prestigious Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLAs). Frank Ridge, of the Villages, won Second Place for Unpublished Flash Fiction and Honorable Mention for Published Short Story. Mary Lois Sanders, Managing Editor, won Second Place for Unpublished Young Adult fiction.

"FWA is a statewide nonprofit trade association with some 1,000 members. Ms. Sanders’ and Mr. Ridge’s awards were announced at the awards ceremony at FWA’s recent three-day annual conference at the Lake Mary Marriott in Orlando, Florida. The conference attracted nearly 300 member-attendees and offered a mix of workshops and opportunities to network with a faculty of agents, acquisition editors, publishers, and industry professionals from across the United States. The ceremony was the conference’s crowning event." Congratulations, Mary Lois!

Writing Genre: Childrens historical fiction.
Current writing goal(s): Complete new novel/Publish others.
Works in Progress: "Timothy Michael O'Hara, Virginia Patriot.:
Published works: Articles & short stories in children's mags: "Calliope," "Cobblestone," "Boy's Life;" Bible study curriculum for kids.