Contact: Adam Cothes, 360-802-9758

ENUMCLAW, Wash., Nov. 29 /Christian Newswire/ -- September 11, 2001: with gunfire ringing in her ears, marketing executive Janine Maxwell fled her New York City hotel room as everything in her high-powered, controllable world collapsed. Months later, recognizing that her life's true purpose lay farther and higher than the boardroom, and sensing God's direction, she traveled to Africa. What she saw on its streets changed her life forever--starvation, disease, poverty, and atrocities few Westerners will ever witness.

Maxwell realized that, not unlike her cry for deliverance from the horror of September 11, the estimated 15 million orphaned children of Africa (of whom one dies every three seconds) live each day desperate for relief. Someone--not a church leader, government official, or a social services expert--had to do something. Maxwell closed her business, leaving her blue chip client list behind, and returned to Africa with funds for food, clothing, shelter, education, and hope to the children orphaned by starvation, poverty, abuse, and AIDS. Now, in her debut book "It's Not Okay With Me" [2006, WinePress Publishing], Janine Maxwell tells their stories, giving a face, heart, soul, and voice to Christ's beloved.

Maxwell says that her book is ". . . a story of how God is truly calling ordinary, everyday people to step up to the plate and make a difference in the world. I always thought that it was priests and pastors and reverends who were supposed to be doing God's work. But apparently I was wrong. There are far more of us 'ordinary types' than there are religious leaders. Each of us has the power to change the world—imagine the transformation that could occur if we could put our pride aside and unite together. Imagine."

As she traveled within Africa, Maxwell made a profound discovery: God showed her the heart of Africa that He sees every day and longs for us all to see. "It is the heart of the people—the men, the women, and the children who so desperately want to show us love and invite us into their world. They are not sitting with hands out saying, 'What can you do for me?' They are saying to come and be a part of our family, our lives, and our community."

Janine Maxwell once owned one of the largest marketing firms in Canada, with such clients as Disney, Kellogg, Kraft, and Coke. She now lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Ian, and their two children. As partners together, Janine and Ian devote their time and energy to Heart for Africa, the non-profit relief organization founded by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson and now headed by the couple. Heart for Africa meets needs in four key areas: Hunger, Orphans, Poverty, and Education (for more information, visit www.heartforafrica.org).

"It's Not OKay With Me" will be released on December 1st, which is World AIDS Day. For more information or to schedule interviews call Adam Cothes at 360-802-9758.