Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Vlautin started playing guitar and writing songs as a teenager and quickly became immersed in music. It was a Paul Kelly song, based on Raymond Carver’s Too Much Water So Close to Home that inspired him to start writing stories. Vlautin has published six novels: The Motel Life (2006), Northline (2008), Lean On Pete (2010), The Free (2014), Don’t Skip Out On Me (2018) and The Night Always Comes (2021).
Christine Lakin is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Alicia 'A' Lambert on the 1990s ABC/CBS sitcom Step by Step. She attended UCLA and majored in film, while working on numerous independent films. Whatever It Takes (2000) was Christine's first wide theatrical film release. Since then, she has had a slew of independent coming-of-age films along with guest appearances on hit shows such as Boston Public and Opposite Sex.