DeBartolo is the daughter of former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward J. DeBartolo, Jr.. She attended the all-girls Villa Maria High School and dropped out her senior year when they wouldn't let her graduate early. She later obtained her GED and graduated from UC Berkeley with a philosophy degree, then moved to Los Angeles. She currently spends her time between New York City and Boulder, Colorado. Her novel writing career began after her film debut, with God-Shaped Hole coming out in 2002, and How to Kill a Rock Star in 2005, both from Sourcebooks Landmark. Sidney Sheldon has praised her sophomore novel, saying it has "Wonderful characters wrapped up in a story that moves like an express train." God-Shaped Hole was published in the UK as The Shape of My Heart. She is one of the owners of the record label Bright Antenna, which records Jimmy Gnecco.