J. T. Dutton was born in Connecticut, where she lived until attending Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. After waiting tables and living more of a night than a day life, she started taking classes in creative writing at Columbia University, commuting from Connecticut to Grand Central. This experience, along with her time at Skidmore, led her to write the first drafts of what would become Freaked while attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks MFA program. She is currently at work on a second novel for teens. She lives in eastern Ohio with her husband, cat, and two children.