Where were you born and raised and what was your path to NC?

I was born in Coral Gables, Florida and lived my entire life in South Florida until moving to North Raleigh in late June, 2005. Why Raleigh? I researched the best places to live in America and learned that just about every list had Raleigh/Durham in the Top 5! My wife (Cheryl) and I visited your lovely area and fell in love with it immediately. Why make the move in 2005? After practicing law in Miami and the Fort Lauderdale area for over 32 years, and given the Christian books I had written in recent years, I wanted to devote more of my life to ministry and helping those in desperate need. When an opportunity arose to work closely with the DivorceCare ministry in Wake Forest arose, this provided a major incentive to take the leap.

I know you are an author ... any more titles on the way?

I have authored three books to date: "When The Vow Breaks: A Survival and Recovery Guide For Christians Facing Divorce" (currently in its 9th printing, and just updated and re-released in January, 2008); "Courting Disaster: What Runaway Litigation Is Costing You, and What You Can Do To Stop The Fallout" (a book on mediation and biblical conflict resolution); and "Making A NEW Vow: A Christian Guide To Remarriage and Blending Families" (which I wrote with my wife). Currently I'm not working on any new book, but I've been thinking about writing on how important it is to let go of things that you can no longer control (incurable illnesses, irreversible job losses, broken marriages, etc.) in order to move on in life. Also, I've been doing a lot of research on body image issues and how important it is to accept ourselves the way God created us without comparisons to others, shame, eating disorders, etc. Believe it or not, this is a very biblical topic going all the way back to the Garden of Eden!

How do you come up with your speech topics?

The old adage is to speak (and write) from what you know. Each person's life experiences are uniquely interesting and informative. So my speech projects have zoned in on such matters as sharing an unforgettable event at summer camp when I was a young buck, giving advice on how to write a book, investigating how the media has falsely skewed how we perceive ourselves (which included holding a mirror up to our Toastmasters audience!), commenting on a few of my favorite words, and disclosing little known facts learned from a recent educational trip to the Panama Canal. There are many different ways to go in being creative and conversational from the lectern with such a diverse audience as our Toastmasters group!

What is your favorite role at a TM meeting?

To be honest, my favorite role is just to attend our meetings and soak up everything our fellow toastmasters are doing. Then I'm not distracted about what I need to do in any particular meeting. I always leave each meeting enriched, enlightened, and encouraged! But among the more active roles we all perform at regular meetings, I enjoy evaluating the contributions of our excellent speakers and giving them the praise and constructive criticism that develops improvement in public speaking--which is a major reason we're all attending these meetings.

If you had not become a lawyer what do you think you might have become?

Without hestitation, I would have become a psychologist or a journalist. It's fascinating to try and understand what makes people tick, and to try and open them up in various ways. Journalism interested me also because I could learn more about people and share their stories with others. Unfortunately, I had to back off of psychology because it required too many science courses in college, which I dreaded! In the late 1960s and early 1970s, just about everyone was majoring in journalism and jobs were difficult to find, so that wasn't the best move. So I defaulted into going to law school in 1974--primarily to fulfill the vision my dear parents gave me during my early tender years: "Warren, when you grow up you should become a lawyer because you sure know how to argue!"

What is your favorite lawyer TV show?

I don't really watch too many TV dramas anymore, preferring news documentaries and reality shows instead. (Wannabe psychologist, remember?) But I definitely was hooked on "LA Law" when that series was so popular. I remember going through some severe withdrawal when that show ended!

I know you are a Florida Gators fan ... but now you live in NC - any chance of you crossing the picket line?

No chance! I bleed orange and blue. A tribute to my Gators even appears in some of my books, so I'm committed for life! (It's a good thing I can special order Gator games on cable up here in NC, or I'd seriously think about moving back to Florida!)

What are your hobbies and interests when not at the podium?

I really enjoy reading and writing (but not arithmetic!). Cheryl and I love to travel all over the world (thanks, in part, to her job as a convention planner for a national insurance company). Volunteering at weekly local DivorceCare groups and homeless shelters is a personal pleasure and always brings special memories. Being a native Floridian, going to the beach is something I always look forward to whenever I get the chance. (If you see me without a tan, you'll know I'm restless to get out into the Sun!)