Love your book cover! What’s the book about?
The Automat is a story of a dispirited introvert named Horace Gray. He becomes obsessed with a free-spirited woman at an automat. For those who are not familiar with what an automat is, it is an old coin-operated self-serve restaurant.

Throughout the novel, Horace is pursued by a detective who is determined to find him guilty of murder. The pressure begins to build, and he ultimately escalates deeper into paranoia and guilt.

What genre is it?
Psychological thriller.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
The Automat will appeal to readers who enjoy dark stories, and have a soft spot for a troubled anti-hero.

In what way? What else out there is like it?
American Psycho, Willard, or the Black Dahlia murder mystery….

Tell us more.
I like to make people think. When I used to paint, I had people come up to me at shows asking me to interpret my paintings for them. Instead, I would ask them to interpret them to me, and I enjoyed listening to what they felt they saw in my works. The Automat is no different. When the reader reads the last few paragraphs, they will be left to think about what the real outcome was. I would love to read the theories people come up with.

Other than the comments section below, where can readers tell you their theories?
http://www.cristinamartin.co.uk or adrylong.tumblr.com.

Have you written any other books that we should read next?
I am writing two books that are drastically different from each other. The first is titled, “Life with Alvy: Memoirs of a Real Life Annie Hall.” It is a comedic autobiographical account of my time living in New York City. The second work is titled, “A Face for Reuben Hill,” which is a science fiction, steam punk, romance.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
When I was 14 years old, I remember sitting on the floor of my bedroom. I leaned up against my bed and cracked open a notebook with a pencil in hand. I began to write my first novel, I can still remember the theme was very advanced for someone of 14. I never finished it, and that notebook is probably buried deep in a trash heap in Florida right now. It took me a decade later to start The Automat, and 6 years to complete it. I’ve moved from Miami, to New York City, and I’m currently in Los Angeles. I consider myself nomadic, so a move to anywhere else right now would be nice.

I am married and have a two year old son named Sebastian Balthasar. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice, a Master’s Degree in Human Behavior, and I am currently in the process of getting my doctorate in Organizational Leadership.

How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
@hornandhardart.

What’s next?
Writing, writing, and more writing. My goal is to finish A Face for Reuben Hill in 2013 for release in 2014, and then focus on Life With Alvy.