Tampa Bay Times: ‘Waves of Healing’ shaped by author’s admiration for Tom Wolfe

This article was originally published by The Tampa Bay Times.

The former Floridian's new book is about the organization Surfers for Autism.

By Piper Castillo

We recently caught up with Lambert, a former Florida resident now living in Oahu, Hawaii. His book, Waves of Healing, will be published in March. Based on Surfers for Autism, a volunteer organization supporting youth on the autistic spectrum while introducing them to surfing and time on the water, the book features several youngsters with ties to the Tampa Bay area. Lambert, 27, holds a journalism degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University and previously served as the editor of Hawaii's Freesurf Magazine. His work has been featured on the Outdoor Channel and ESPN Outdoors and in Autism Parenting Magazine, Surfing Magazine and Eastern Surf Magazine.

What's on your nightstand?

I'm rereading my all-time favorite author, Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff. I am also reading Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. It's about spirituality and bettering yourself. And I also have my own book, Waves of Healing, out. I'm proud of it.

Did you read The Right Stuff before you became a journalist, and did Wolfe influence your style for Waves of Healing?

I stumbled upon the New Journalism era in the middle of studying in college. I love how he always puts his characters first. I definitely would not say that my book is like what he has written, but it is, he is, what I'm going for.

How did you come up with the idea for Waves of Healing?

The genesis of the whole project came from volunteering with Surfers for Autism, and then one day, I was at Barnes & Noble. I saw books about certain things, and I had a thought on how no book had been written on surfing and autism. It is such a positive environment. I thought it should be done. I gave myself a three-year plan. The first year was for research. The second year was for writing, and the third year was for finding a publisher. I literally researched by buying a ton of books and looking at how other authors frame their stories and looking for books with multiple characters. I'm proud of how it all turned out. It is a book about children with autism and having struggles, but it is also about breakthroughs.