Thank you, Joan Marlow Golan

This is a very special day in Seekerville. 
There are no prizes today. 
Countless gifts have already been received in the form of the care and encouragement meted out by Joan Marlow Golan, the recently retired Executive Editor of Love Inspired books. 
Joan took a fledgling Love Inspired line and through her nurturing, planning, dedication, and wonderful co-workers,
 helped grow the line to benefit editors, readers and authors. 

From the original four sweet inspirational stories per month, we've grown to six Love Inspired novels, six Love Inspired suspense novels, four Love Inspired historical novels and four "Heartsong" novels.... That's twenty books per month, a monumental increase of faith, hope and love available to readers at a reasonable cost.

Simply put, that is amazing.

Joan in Seekerville, three years ago! 

Today we've invited people to step up to the plate and offer their words about Joan. Heartfelt and honest, these tributes are testimony to Joan's gentle humor, insight, faith and love of Christian fiction. And whatever the coming years bring (and she's promised to see us at RWA 2015 in Manhattan!) we've all benefited from her generosity and advice for the years she's invested. Joan: May God bless you the way you've blessed us and we hope the gardens of your life are delightfully lush, colorful, fragrant and bright, and that your next mission brings hope and grace to those you touch, like it did at Love Inspired and Steeple Hill Books.

We love you.

From Joan's recent retirement party!

From Assistant Editor Giselle Regus:
Joan would come talk to me every morning, and always found some way to motivate me for the day. I’m missing our check-ins!

***

From Love Inspired Suspense novelist Debby Giusti:

Joan Marlow Golan is a beautiful woman whose able leadership has guided Love Inspired Books to its place of prominence within Christian publishing. Working for Joan has been a joy and a privilege, and I will miss her dearly.

Thank you, Joan, for your vision, warmth, sincerity and, most especially, your friendship. May God bless you in each new endeavor you undertake. Sending love and prayers as you transition into retirement.

                                             

I'll always remember 2004 ACRW awards luncheon where I was awarded first place in the contemporary romance category. Joan was sitting at my table and invited me to tell her about my book. Silly me, I told her that she wouldn't be interested in it. She asked "why not?" and I recited what I'd been told the entire conference by editors and agents: no one wanted cowboy romances. She looked me straight in the eye and said, "I like cowboys."

In that moment, she restored hope, just like Jeremiah 29:11. You will be greatly missed, Joan Marlow Golan.  (Love Inspired author Audra Harders)

 ***

From the delightful and shoe-loving "Elnora", Lenora Worth:

Joan was one of the first people I got to know once I became an LI author. She was always kind to me and we had some wonderful moments. I remember once my husband and I were in Denver for a CBA convention. We were walking along an upstairs catwalk and I saw Joan down below. I told my husband "That's Joan. She's the boss." He called down to her and she glanced up in surprise. He pointed to me and called out 'It's Lenora." We went down and I hugged her and we laughed about a strange man calling her name. Joan always greeted me with a kiss on each cheek and a good hug. And we usually parted that way, too. So I'm sending you a kiss on each cheek, Joan. And a parting hug. You have been an inspiration to me for many years. I'll never forget you.

Love Inspired team, from left:
Emily Brown, Giselle Regus, Shana Smith, Melissa Endlich, Joan Marlow Golan,
 Emily Rodmell, Tina James, Elizabeth Mazer

***

Joan gave me my start in publishing. She bought my first manuscript. I can't thank her enough for seeing potential in my untried talent. Thanks to her guidance at Love Inspired, my career has moved steadily forward. What a wonderful and wise woman. She will be missed. (Pat MacDonald)

 ***

From Mia Ross:

As a newer Love Inspired author, I'm grateful to Joan Marlow Golan for opening a door for me. Her vision for the line expanded the opportunities available to writers like me, allowing me to have the career I've always dreamed of. All my best wishes for the future, Joan!

  

From the amazing multi-published author Margaret Daley:

I remember the first time I met Joan in Anaheim at RWA back in the late 1990s. I had an appointment with her, and she suggested I send Ann Leslie Tuttle the partial I pitched to her. Ann Leslie didn't buy it but encouraged me to send her something else. I did and I began to write for Love Inspired. I feel Joan was so much a part of where I am today and my career with Love Inspired. Thank you so much, and I wish her the best in retirement.

***

I remember Joan at her first conference when she came back to Harlequin and stopped by and talked with me at the literacy signing at RWA in the mid 90's. She always had a vision for Steeple Hill and is a wonderful editor. (Leann Harris)  *** From the heart of Mule Hollow country, here's Debra Clopton: Joan Marlowe Golan bought my first book, The Trouble With Lacy Brown. After years of rejection Joan read it as a Golden Heart Finalist and bought it immediately, making my dreams come true. She took a chance on a story about a crazy little town and a wacky hairstylist with a vision. Like Lacy Brown had a vision for fictional Mule Hollow, Joan had a vision for Love Inspired. I will always be blessed and grateful that she felt me, my voice and the voices in my head fit into her vision of what a Love Inspired book should be. Thank you Joan I wish you all the best, and pray blessings pour down upon you through the coming years. ***

Although I never met Joan in person, she blessed me with her encouragement and sweet spirit. What a great leader! From other stories that I've heard, I know she has blessed many others during their careers. Thank you, Joan, and God bless as you make this transition.

-Lacy Williams

  ***

From Love Inspired Historical author Janet Dean:

I first met Joan Golan at Romance Writers of America Conference when I was a debut author of Courting Miss Adelaide, a story based on the orphan train. When I gave Joan my name she told me that she loved orphan train stories. I was blown away that she both recognized and could associate the story with my name.  

 Two years ago at RWA in New York City, Debby Giusti, my husband Dale and I toured the Harlequin editorial office. On the way out, we met Joan coming in. She took time to talk with Debby and me. She explained our fan mail is read at meetings and how much those letters and our stories meant to the Love Inspired team. Again, Joan made me feel valued with her personal touch.

    ***   

From Award-winning Author Marta Perry:

   As one of the “old-timers” of the line, I can’t pass up the opportunity to say how much it’s meant to me personally and to the line as a whole to have Joan at the helm. She has always been unfailingly kind, helpful, and professional. She remembers everyone, no small task with all the writers who’ve passed through her hands over the years. Her vision for the Love Inspired imprint has guided it from the new kid on the block to the most loved and respected of inspirational series books, all of us who have worked with her owe her a great deal.

  *** 
From Award-winning Author Merrilee Whren:  

My first memory of Joan came from the 2003 RWA conference where I won the Golden Heart. I was so thrilled when Joan came up to me after the ceremony and gave me her card. I still have it.                     ***   

Congratulations on your retirement. As someone who sold to LI just weeks before your departure, I wanted to thank you for all the work you, and others like you, have done to make the LI lines what they are today. You may not be coming to the office every day anymore, but many people will continue - or begin - to write, edit, and read wonderful stories of faith and love in your wake. Your harvest continues even though others now work your fields.

I pray God's blessings on you at this new stage in your life, and on all those who continue the LI work at Harlequin.    Love Inspired author Angel Moore

  ***

From Rita Finalist Missy Tippens:

 "I met Joan not long after selling my first book to Love Inspired. She was so encouraging and welcoming! I felt so blessed to become part of the team and knew we were in good, capable hands working under her leadership. Joan will be missed!"

From Ruthy again:
Joan will be missed, but here's the nice thing about Joan, about the editors, about Love Inspired as a publishing entity: It carries on.
And even with a new Executive Editor at the helm (Congratulations, Tina James!!!!)
 the strength of the Love Inspired editorial team lies in its depth...

And the depth of their authors and loyalty of their readers.

Joan believed in me when I was raw, new, and fairly stupid. 
She said "You'll be with us one day." And her words came true three years ago...

When someone that nice, and yes, that influential, has faith in you???
You find out you can move mountains. 
It's amazing what happens when folks believe in you.

Joan, this isn't goodbye.
 It's Best Wishes on a Happy Retirement from all of us in Seekerville.
You've blessed us.
Now it's our turn to reciprocate.

May God bless you, Joan Marlow Golan!