The Story of Helix Studios Model Kyle Ross

TWINK

TWINK is a coming-of-age novel that chronicles Helix Studios model Kyle Ross before he was famous.  Written by Taylor Saracen, readers meet a teenage Ross:  a skinny, weak, gay adolescent living in rural America, trying to navigate his way through the most difficult time in his life, high school.  It is a journey in self-discovery as Kyle struggles to find acceptance from friends and family while also confronting a mother battling life challenges of her own. Being released through 13 Red Media, TWINKis available now in select bookstores, Amazon and most e-book retailers worldwide.

TWINKspotlights several traumatic events in Kyle Ross’ young teen life that ten years later, his family has yet to fully recover from, beginning with his mother losing her high-profile job with American Express in the 2008 banking crisis.  Shortly after, his parents divorced.  Then, his mother made the decision to uproot Kyle and his brothers from his childhood home in Dallas to a small town in Tennessee.

“The move to Tennessee was because she was chasing old boyfriends,” Kyle remembers.  “My mom’s heart was hurting so much, she selfishly didn’t take into account how the move would dismantle her kids from their lives.”

The Tennessee town they now called home lacked diversity and understanding, which was particularly difficult for a young boy awakening to his homosexuality.   Also, the school system was very different.  “I went from college prep to a school where the counselor asked me what my vocation would be.  I had never heard that word before.” 

His mother was emotionally abusive, admonishing Kyle for being too puny and telling him “he needed to man up if we were ever going to attract a girlfriend.”   He admits it was emotionally scarring.

“A parent’s mental illness can have detrimental effects on children,” Kyle reflects. “We grow up we thinking their behavior is normal and that we are the problem. It took me years to get to the point where I now realize that parents aren’t always perfect.”

Today, Kyle owns his twink size and, in fact, takes pride in showing off his compact physique as a Helix model.  As for his mother, he says he has tried to reconcile with her but that to this day, she denies any wrongdoing.  “I forgive her. I get that when people go through hardships, they don’t always make the best decisions.” 

TWINKis Taylor Saracen’s second novel in the Rise Up series.   Saracen is a former middle and high school teacher who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Developmental Psychology and is particularly interested in the plight of youth whose path to adulthood may appear unorthodox to most. “I seek to de-stigmatize those who work in the adult film industry by showing how closely their struggles mirror our own,” she says.  “They are a community that has been marginalized and maligned. They deserve better representation.”

Other books in the Rise Up series include His Own Way Out, inspired by the early life of former Helix model Blake Mitchell and Electric Soul,a book about former Helix model Joey Mills.    While the characters change and the stories vary in each Rise Up novel, common themes—including the struggle for independence, identifying one’s passions, searching for acceptance and for love—are interwoven through the pages in all. 

Kyle’s advice to those in the LGBTQ community that are currently living in isolated towns like the one he experienced in Tennessee: “Move to a major city.   You will find people out there who are just like you.  Come, we’re here.”

13 Red Media Ltd. is a multi-faceted media company focused on providing consumers with groundbreaking LGBT content. Founded by Keith Miller of Helix Studios, 13 Red Media sets the same high standards the company places on Helix Studios videos to its literature releases.