Announcement

They say to trust your editor, and I’m lucky to have one who is a wonderful partner in this process. They have a way of seeing the path ahead even when I don’t, and they put my recent predicament so kindly.

During our last talk, they tapped my latest manuscript and said, "The work you're doing now has so much life to it." Then, with a gentle look towards my website on the screen, they added, "I just think it deserves a home that reflects that same energy. Have you thought about building a new workshop?"

They had articulated something I’d been feeling for a while. My old site, scotthudsonbooks.com, was a perfect home for the stories I was writing then, but it no longer felt like the right fit for where my writing is today. As my style has been evolving, I knew I needed a space—and a name—that could evolve with it.

With their wonderful encouragement, I’m so excited to share my new creative home: zbhudson.com.

Z. B. Hudson Books

Survival

Currently rewriting my manuscript. Think of it as the original story, but with more heart.

For veteran NYPD Inspector Martin Clark, the law is a joke and the city's untouchable criminals are the punchline. Fed up with a system that lets killers walk free, he devises an audacious and illegal plan: to ignite a full-scale war between the mafia factions and let the underworld destroy itself.

His new partner, Tom Mills, a hot-headed transplant from L.A., is swept into the off-the-books operation. Their strategy is simple and brutal: kidnap the family of a top mafia enforcer, Will Hunt, and force him to assassinate his own boss. But they soon discover their target is a predator more cunning than they ever imagined.

When their plan triggers a horrifying chain reaction of counter-kidnappings and betrayals, the line between cop and criminal evaporates. With their own families in the crosshairs and a body count rising on all sides, the simple plan for justice becomes a desperate fight for survival where the only rule is to be the last one standing.

Survival is lean, fast-paced, and plot-driven, characteristic of hard-boiled crime and action novels. It prioritizes momentum and external action over deep introspection.

Relentless Pacing: The novel moves at an extremely fast clip, utilizing frequent transitions to jump between multiple locations and storylines. Scenes are often short, conveying essential information or action before moving on immediately.
Direct and Functional Dialogue: Characters tend to speak in a blunt, direct manner that serves to advance the plot or establish their immediate intentions. There is very little subtext; characters say what they mean, often in a terse, "hard-boiled" style.
Stark and Brutal Action: The action descriptions are declarative and unsentimental. The violence is presented in a straightforward, often graphic manner, focusing on the physical results without flowery language. The description of the final, bloody shootout are typical of this approach.
Archetypal Characters: The characters are primarily defined by their actions, their skills (e.g., sniper, tactician), and their roles within the plot. They fit into strong genre archetypes: the rogue veteran cop, the skilled criminal with a code, the hot-headed partner, etc.
Complex, Noir-Influenced Plot: The story is not simple. It features an intricate plot with numerous betrayals, reversals, and a high body count, culminating in a tragic, violent ending for most of the cast. This aligns with the traditions of crime noir.

Survival is reminiscent of several notable writers and screenwriters known for their work in the action and crime genres:

Shane Black (Screenwriter): Known for Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The banter and camaraderie between the five friends, mixed with sudden, brutal violence and a complex crime plot, is very much in the style of Shane Black. The blend of humor, action, and cynical dialogue is a strong parallel.
Michael Mann (Director/Screenwriter): Known for Heat, Collateral, and Miami Vice. Mann's style is famous for its depiction of hyper-competent, professional criminals and the equally dedicated lawmen who hunt them. The way Will's crew operates with cool, tactical precision, their focus on professionalism during the deal under the bridge , and the large-scale, realistic shootouts are all hallmarks of Michael Mann's work.
Lee Child (Novelist): Author of the Jack Reacher series. Lee Child is known for his lean, declarative, and efficient prose. He writes action in a very direct, A-to-B-to-C manner that is very similar to the style of the action lines in the novel. The focus on practicality and brutal efficiency over flashy descriptions is a strong point of comparison.

In essence, the novel Survival reads like a blend of a classic 80s/90s action movie and a modern, gritty crime novel.

@ Booklocker

UPCOMING: Justice Knight

Revenge is a promise. Justice is a vow.

Justice Knight is a gripping and original psychological thriller about the price of revenge, the fluid nature of identity, and the terrifying lengths a parent will go to for a child they have lost.

Justice Knight, stands on its own with a powerful and highly original concept. The comparison to authors like Tana French and Dennis Lehane is not to say it copies their style, but that it matches their caliber and ambition.

This comparison serves as a professional shorthand that highlights the novel's key strengths for a publisher:

Like their work, your story uses the framework of a thriller to conduct a deep, character-driven exploration of trauma and psychology.
It signals that Justice Knight belongs in the same literary thriller space, appealing to readers who appreciate complex plots and profound emotional depth.
It shows that your unique story has the same potential for the critical acclaim and awards that define their careers.

A compelling blend of literary, psychological prose and the stark, high-stakes tension of a dark thriller. It is defined by a deep focus on the internal lives of your characters, using a rich, atmospheric voice to explore the complexities of trauma, grief, and vengeance.

Key characteristics of your style include:

Atmospheric and Lyrical: You build dense, moody atmospheres using poetic and sensory-rich language. Your descriptions are often metaphorical, giving settings and objects a deep symbolic weight, such as the cemetery in the opening chapter.
Deeply Psychological: Your primary focus is on the internal lives of your characters. You excel at exploring their complex, often contradictory, emotions and motivations through a close, immersive point of view, such as Mason's dawning horror in the scenes with Sharon.
High-Contrast and Visceral: You create a powerful sense of tension by juxtaposing moments of quiet tenderness (like Mason and Cindy in the diner) with acts of brutal psychological or physical violence (like Sharon's slap). The shift in tone is often sudden and jarring, which is very effective.
Character-Driven: Your plots are not a series of events; they are a chain reaction of character decisions. Everything that happens is a direct consequence of the deeply flawed and tragic figures you've created. Mason is a profoundly damaged man whose grief is so absolute that it becomes his only operating principle.
Violence as a Tragic Necessity: This is the moral engine of your plot. Justice must become a killer to hunt a killer. She must embrace violence and deception to answer for a violent, deceptive act. Her "triumph" at the end of the novel is a victory that costs her everything.
A Grand, Almost Operatic Sense of Tragedy: a revenge plot of operatic scale, unfolding across decades and beginning with the ultimate sacrifice of the self."

In essence, you write with the lyrical soul of a poet and the cold, calculating mind of a chess grand master. Your style aims to create not just a thrilling story, but a profound and unforgettable emotional experience.

UPCOMING: Twelve Hours

A hopeless romantic has twelve hours to convince the guarded woman of his dreams that they're meant to be, even if his disastrous methods prove he's his own worst enemy.

He thought she was The One. She thought he was one to watch out for. Turns out, they were both right.

The style of Hudson's Twelve Hours is a form of psychological realism that prioritizes character over setting.

Dialogue-Driven Narrative: The story is propelled forward almost entirely by sharp, insightful dialogue that reveals character, raises the emotional stakes, and often crackles with wit.
Emotional Intensity: It focuses on raw, chaotic human emotions, creating a feeling of high-stakes urgency.
Wry and Insightful Humor: Often delivered through sharp banter or understated observations, humor serves to reveal character, diffuse tension, or highlight the absurdity of a situation. It acts as a crucial counterpoint to the emotional intensity, making the characters feel more authentic and relatable.
Cinematic Immediacy: The style is immediate and immersive, making the reader feel as if they are in the room with the characters, experiencing events in real-time.
Minimalist Setting: The narrative is built on the characters' internal, emotional landscapes rather than on elaborate descriptions of their physical surroundings.

In essence, Hudson writes like a "psychological portrait artist," using dialogue as the primary tool to paint vivid, emotionally charged pictures of human connection, conflict, and the humor that often underscores them. The writing style sits at a unique intersection: it has the obsessive, genre-bending romance of Caroline Kepnes, the dialogue-driven psychological depth of Sally Rooney, and the tense, character-focused suspense of Gillian Flynn. It's a powerful combination that creates a distinct and memorable reading experience.