"I know the character I'm supposed to be is an 1800s English officer named Nicholas," Kellam said. "But as far as what he does and doesn't do, I haven't read it yet."

Kellam is a character in his own right.

After graduating from Manheim Township in 1992, the now 29-year-old studied exercise physiology at East Carolina University and worked as a personal fitness trainer in Miami and North Carolina before returning to Lancaster five years ago.

It was after his return home that he discovered the world of modeling.

A friend introduced him to several photographers, he said, and Kellam's dark eyes, chiseled chin and sculpted body quickly landed him modeling jobs with agencies on the East Coast. The Bon-Ton, Jeep and Home Depot were among the first companies to feature Kellam in their ads.

Amish country, he said, is a surprisingly good place to break into the business.

"Lancaster's growing," he said. "There are a lot of companies moving in here. You'd be surprised how many photography studios (here) are actually doing work for Philadelphia.... To be in Lancaster, centrally located between Philly, New York, Baltimore and Washington, you can get a lot of work."

Despite the success he had with a clean-cut look -- he appeared in a number of store ads -- Kellam recently decided to explore a more "edgy" field of modeling.

"I get bored easily -- occupational hazard," he said. "I thought, 'I can either dress in Bon-Ton striped shirts every week for the rest of my life or I can mix it up.' I wanted more unique jobs. I wanted to get away from the cookie-cutter image. Through self-marketing and enjoying what I do, I just continued to network with photographers and worked my way into Harlequin."

Another model gave Kellam the name of a romance-novel artist, and, after sending the artist a portfolio, Kellam found himself at a photo shoot last fall in a beautiful 18th-century Pipersville farmhouse.

Kellam said the artist photographed him, created a painting based on the photo, then took a picture of the painting and sent that to Canada, where the book's publisher is based.

The result? Kellam's handsome mug on "Surrender to Love," which was published by Mira Books.

But ladies, beware, Kellam is taken.

He and his fiancee, Jaime Novicki, have posed together in a number of modeling shoots, and the couple will appear together on the cover of a new Rosemary Rogers romance novel that will hit stores soon.

"We just have fun with each other," Kellam said. "We get to spend a day together and get paid good money. It's few and far between -- maybe only four or five times a year -- but we definitely enjoy it."

Aside from an upcoming wedding, Kellam has other major planning to do.

He recently purchased two new gyms in Granite Run and Greenfield with Don Anderson, a local business owner and one of Kellam's close friends and personal-training clients.

"My priority now is going to be the health clubs," Kellam said. "I'm going to kind of put modeling on the back burner for now. My business partner and I have a lot of great ideas. We both think outside the box. We're excited about introducing a new energy to Lancaster in regards to health clubs."

Kellam said modeling, compared to working out, is a day in the park.

"Let's face it, modeling is not all that difficult," he said. "What these (gym) members do on a daily basis, that's difficult. Being in an air-conditioned studio and smiling, contrary to rumor, is not difficult."

Kellam said he and Anderson have big plans for their two new Workouts gyms, which will feature everything from yoga and spinning classes to a variety of programs targeting members of all abilities, including a separate workout room for aggressive bodybuilders.

Once members walk in the door, all fitness-oriented programs are included in a monthly fee. "We want to create a new energy, but still keep that neighborhood feel," Kellam said. "The main thing is to give people a vacation -- a mental vacation and a physical outlet."

But his modeling career isn't over. "I'm definitely not done with that part of my life," he said. "There are always going to be opportunities."