Rob Armstrong - Hilarious Stories from a Stay-at-Home Dad

Rob Armstrong mines comedy from his own life as a stay-at-home dad. Armstrong lives with his wife and daughters in the Greater Philadelphia area. His debut novel, Daddy 3.0: Comedy of Errors won the 2017 Comedy / Satire novel of the year award from the Independent Author Network and received rave reviews. As our Author of the Day, Armstrong tells us all about it.

Please give us a short introduction to what Daddy 3.0: Comedy of Errors is about.

Daddy 3.0 is a comedic novel which explores some of the issues involved when a father has to switch traditional roles with his wife in the raising of their children. It centers around a likeable but lazy father who has to rise to the challenge of being the primary care giver in a new social setting dominated by traditional stay at home mothers in New York.

What inspired you to write about a programmer who suddenly has to come to terms with looking after twins?

Based loosely on my experience as a stay at home parent in New York, I experienced many funny and odd situations that many men do not experience. It was a New York sub culture that I had not seen explored before in a novel.

Tell us more about the title. Why "Daddy 3.0"?

A Daddy 1.0 is the old school father who brings in all the money, and does little of the child rearing. A Daddy 2.0 is a father who shares equally being the family bread winner and a substantial partner in child rearing. A Daddy 3.0 is where the mother is the primary bread winner and the father does most of the child care solo.

Who is Nick Owen and what makes him so special?

Nick Owen is a likeable guy who is able to grow – laugh at himself - and possesses a willingness to be open to new experiences.

Why is Supermom such a relatable villain?

I think all parents have a sense of inferiority around any “Super Parent” within a group. Every parent wants to be perceived as being able to provide all your child’s needs, be seen as able to have it all and make it all appear as if it is effortless. Supermom is relatable because I think we all hate to be judged by someone else who seems to in control or dominant.

You managed to take every day situations and make them hilarious. How did you pull this off?

There is much humor in everyday things when we are able to observe our experiences from a third party perspective. If we forget for a moment that it is happening to us, little mishaps and interactions are pretty funny. We all experience tiny moments of stupidity, humility and awkward social situations. The more a comedic set-up corresponds to the reader’s experiences the greater the pay-off chuckle. Kids are a funny disruptive force in a parent’s life – they force you into comedic situations all the time.

How much of your own experiences as a dad have you written into this book?

A lot. Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent..

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I’m involved with local politics for my community – particularly school board. I have served as a school director, along with other volunteer activities. In my previous life, I was a financial analyst in the radio industry.

Daddy 3.0 is your debut novel. What has the experience been like so far?

Very positive. Sales have been very good. Daddy 3.0 won the 2017 Comedy / Satire novel of the year award from the Independent Author Network. Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads have been solid.

Amongst all of the light humor, your book also addresses some heavier themes about marriage. Why did you take this approach?

A good novel needs to say something – explore something in a new way. I felt having the lead character Nick mature over the course of the book offered more emotional reward for the reader. Just writing punch line after punch is like eating a bag of chips – fun for awhile but then you eventually have regret.

What was the greatest challenge you had when writing this book?

Finding the quiet time and space to write. It seems as I get older there is more and more competition for my time. In a hyper connected world all activities / interactions seem to be a time vampire. The best advice is to eliminate and prioritize things.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

Sorry – no interesting writing habits except for animal sacrifice. Just kidding. When I find time I tend to do it in bigger blocks – I’m trying to be more measured but it is hard to find a steady 2 hour block a day.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on something different. It’s a present day thriller with comedic elements. Still in the outlining phase.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

Readers can follow me on twitter - @arm1066 or on facebook - https://www.facebook.com/robert.armstrong.524596 . Also, can go to my author Amazon page https://www.amazon.com/Rob-Armstrong/e/B01JGPN4HA/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1