Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Vlautin has published five novels: THE MOTEL LIFE (2007--NYT Editor’s choice and notable book, made into a major motion picture starring Dakota Fanning, Emile Hirsh, Stephen Dorff, and Kris Kristofferson), NORTHLINE (2008), LEAN ON PETE (2010-Winner of the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction, short-listed for the IMPAC award, and soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Buscemi and Chloe Sevigny), and THE FREE (2014-Winner of the Oregon People’s Choice Award).

His fifth novel, DON’T SKIP OUT ON ME, has just been published.