Campus News

Westminster’s Christy Seifert: The Next Stephenie Meyer or David Hasselhof?

Communications professor & resident Twilight expert branches out to publish her own YA novel

SALT LAKE CITY – When she’s not analyzing the sexual undertones in the Twilight series, writing about the over-the-top catch phrases in the Jersey Shore, or teaching communications to her students, Westminster College’s Christy Seifert has focused on penning her own young adult novel, The Predicteds, to be released Sept. 1, 2011. A mix of mystery, sci-fi, and a little romance, this novel is bound to be a hit with teens across the nation – and even in a few foreign countries.

“The book is not only being published in the United States, but in Thailand and Germany as well. They actually auctioned it off in Germany and several publishers fought for the rights to the book…who knows, I may be the next David Hasselhof,” joked Seifert.

Students and fans are already sporting their bright pink “Team Christy” t-shirts in anticipation of the release date. To kick off the launch of the new book, Westminster will hold a release and signing party on campus Thursday, September 1 to celebrate their local faculty celebrity.

“I’m so excited for the signing party this week,” said Anita Boeira, a Westminster staff member and Team Christy fan. “I already finished a pre-release copy of the book…I just couldn’t stop reading it!”

Seifert, who is an associate professor of communication at Westminster, was inspired to write The Predicteds by the tragic Trolley Square shooting.

“People close to the killer wondered if they should have known,” added Seifert. “And if they had, could they have prevented him from taking the lives of these innocent people? It got me wondering what we would do if we could predict crime. Could we stop it? And how would we treat people different?”

Seifert’s novel is about an experimental computer program, PROFILE, which claims to be able to predict violent future behavior. After a tragic event, a high school in rural Oklahoma publicly releases the PROFILE results to its students. New-girl-in-town, Daphne Wright, discovers that her first love, the mysterious Jesse Kable, may be on the wrong side of the PROFILE divide. And he may be guilty of an unsolved crime that has the whole town on-edge. Does she believe in him? Or trust PROFILE?

The Predicteds is published by Sourcebooks Fire and will be released on Thursday. In addition to the campus launch party, the King’s English is hosting a signing party on September 7 at 7 p.m.

For interviews with author Christine Seifert, please call Krista DeAngelis at (801) 505-3213

For more information on Seifert and The Predicteds, visit http://christineseifert.com/ http://www.facebook.com/TeamChristineSeifert. The book is also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and several other locations.

Some of the things people are already saying about the book:

I truly liked that this book gave you a lot of food for thought. It wasn't just a story that you read and forget. I'm waiting on my friend to finish reading it so we can discuss it. The concepts brought forth in this book were well researched and thought out. Not to give anything away, but at the very end there is a discussion about the type of violent crime someone is supposedly predetermined to commit and whether it is premeditated, spontaneous, or self-defense and if that is also predictable. Quite interesting I must say.
-Amanda at Urban Bachelorette

A thoughtful novel that will provoke some discussions.
-Susan Geiss

A fast-paced, this-could-happen-at-your-school thriller.
-Stasia Kehoe, author of Audition

About Westminster:
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu or follow WestminsterSLC on Twitter.