Hit Makers

The lives of three families on two continents are set on a collision course with destiny as they’re inextricably woven into the tapestry of music history.

In America’s Pacific Northwest, a star is born.

In Northern England, another.
And another.
And another.

A promising new record label forms amidst the dust of crushed and twisted lives, by the very man responsible for taking them. A man who has risen like a phoenix against all odds to reinvent himself despite a tragic past.

Twin brothers, East London’s most fearsome villains, move to commandeer some of the most notable bands in history by any means necessary. They expect their due. Or else.

From Swinging London to the LA music scene. From the bombed-out rubble of post-WWII England to the gritty streets of New York to California’s sunny coast.

These are the Hit Makers. And this is where their story begins.

Heather O'Brien is a novelist and no stranger to the creative arts. The great-great-granddaughter of world-renowned cellist Bruno Steindel of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she can trace back her creative roots to five generations of notable musicians, artists, and toymakers. Her family tree contains the branches of many disciplines of the finer arts. A seeker of what motivates the heart and human behavior, she has a certain knack for drawing complex characters who explore the sometimes-painful dynamics of life and love, choice and consequence, regret and reconciliation. Though many of her stories take place in the entertainment industry, she infuses intense humanity into an industry perceived as lacking the very things that connect us. She describes her writing style primarily as that of a "reformed pantser," explaining that the intricacies of the saga forced her to become a hybrid, and then eventually a plotter, for the remainder of its telling. Like all human drama, the overarching plotline for the Music is Murder saga is multiplex and surpasses the confines of a single novel. Over time, the story grew from a sequel (A Fate Worse Than Fame) to a trilogy (Ballad of Someday), and eventually into to a 7-book series. The overall foundation remains the story that found her at age eleven. Over her career, she has dabbled in other areas of entertainment, including music and film. Most notably, she worked as a documentary film producer with an indie director from the Bay Area from 2002-2004. Her contributions included the investigation of a gruesome, multiple homicide that took place in the mid-'80s, in the small town she had lived in as a child. Heather is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Association of Professional Women and the Alliance of Independent Authors. When hanging out with friends, she loves to talk story, writing, music, and movies. She is a wife, a mother/step-mother of six, and a grandmother of ten. Some of her hobbies include music, amateur video editing, travel, and research. She spends most her spare time with family. For more information, visit: www.booksbyheather.com.