
Sunday, February 15, 2015

Spotlight Interview
How did you come up with the idea for Dog Day Wedding?
It actually started out as a short story that I wrote in a creative writing class at Stanford. The title is based on the 1975 Al Pacino movie, Dog Day Afternoon. In the movie, Pacino robs a bank and ends up taking everyone hostage.
My story is a little lighter since it’s a romantic comedy. Okay, a lot lighter. The final scene is three chapters long and includes a wedding with hostages. Don’t worry…nobody dies and there’s plenty of red velvet cake for everyone!
What has been the worst piece of writing advice you've received?
That I needed to have over ten thousand followers on Twitter if I wanted to be taken seriously as an author. Isn’t that crazy? I mean, come on! Everyone knows the correct number is 9877. That’s when you know you’ve really made it.
You write romance. You’re a guy.
LOL. Okay, that’s not even a question! But I will tell you this: My obsession with romantic comedies can be traced back to 1989 when I watched When Harry Met Sally for the first time on the big screen. It was such a fun movie and I was hooked! I’ve since seen it about ten times, along with hundreds of other romantic comedies. Some of my favorites are Notting Hill, The Princess Bride, Love Actually, You’ve Got Mail, The Runaway Bride, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, There’s Something About Mary, Meet The Parents, and Groundhog Day, just to name a few. My first exposure to romantic comedy novels came when my wife gave me the book Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie. Loved it! I never considered writing anything else because I love the genre and can’t get enough of it. Many of my wife’s friends say she struck gold when she met me since most guys would much rather watch or read something with explosions or spaceships. Not me! Give me romance, baby!
About the Author:
Quirky Romantic Comedies from a Guy's Perspective.
Rich Amooi is a former Silicon Valley radio personality and wedding DJ who now writes romantic comedies full-time. He is happily married to a kiss monster and has a hairy golden retriever/lab mix that likes to eat carrots, tuna, and Manchego cheese imported from Spain.
He believes (Rich, not the dog) in public displays of affection, silliness, infinite possibilities, donuts, gratitude, laughter, and happily ever after.




