You never know what will inspire your writing.
I’m thrilled to share the real-life places that inspired Trusting Love. Through these photos and stories, you’ll step into the heart of the fictional Middletown, Illinois—a town deeply rooted in the real village I call home: Mahomet.
The fictional town of Middletown is modeled after Mahomet, where I live. Interestingly, Mahomet was originally named Middletown when it was founded in 1832. When a post office was officially granted in 1840, the name was changed to Mahomet to avoid confusion with another Middletown in Logan County. Even so, locals continued to call it Middletown until the railroad arrived in 1871, prompting an official vote to adopt the name Mahomet.
No matter which direction you enter, Mahomet greets you with a “Welcome to Mahomet” sign. One sits near the entrance to the Country Ridge subdivision—the same one Cara notices in Trusting Love.
A new gray-bricked ‘Welcome to Middletown’ sign along the Country Ridge Subdivision grabbed her attention.
The Roads and Fields of Middletown
The five-mile stretch of Highway 47 is like a seasonal clock, marked by the rising soybeans and corn. My late mother-in-law’s grandparents once farmed the land here, adding a personal tie to this landscape.
Turning north onto the overpass toward Middletown, she smiled at the quilt of green of the Moore’s fields…. By the end of June, this stretch of Route 47 would tunnel through knee-high corn and soybeans.
This quirky pig sign is real—and restored!
At one time or another, every Middletown citizen had used the old, dilapidated, peeling pig sing as a landmark. Its preservation wasn’t just for nostalgia.
The Church at the Heart of the Story
As Cara drives down Highway 47, she passes the church she and Callum grew up attending. Sangamon Valley Church is the church I attend and the one I visualized for those scenes. My in-laws actually started it. The spire event in the novel really happened—a storm did knock the steeple point-first into the roof—but it was not replaced in real life.
Slowing to glance left before the railroad tracks, she glimpsed the church she’d been raised in, a white spire reaching into the blue heavens. Five years ago, after a storm knocked off the old spire, point first into the roof, the congregation voted on this wider, more modern design.
Family Connections
My in-laws, Brent and Judy Roberson, started Sangamon Valley Church. It was called Sangamon Valley Christian Center (SVCC).
Cara jumped at the dull thump of Pastor Brent’s Bible closing and caught the end of his gentle recitation, “and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles…”
My nephew, Caleb, and his wife, Andrea, now pastor our church. It’s now named Sangamon Valley Church (SVC).
“I want to do better,” he bowed his head in regret. “Pastor Caleb has encouraged me to truly deal with things, not just avoid them.”
Shops and Stops in Middletown (a.k.a. Mahomet)
Highway 150 leads Cara into Middletown, past the places that hold the memories and moments of her youth.
Cara’s ex, Callum, buys flowers for his mother from the Village Garden Shoppe—just like people have done for decades at this location. Long-time owner Connie Weber ran this flower shop for years before Shannon Anderson renovated it in 2024. The sign remains the same.
“He had called the Village Garden Shoppe on Saturday minutes before closing, but Connie insisted she’d have something lovely arranged for him in fifteen minutes. Thank goodness for Connie’s kindness.”
Cara passes the police station where her father is Chief and her ex-boyfriend works as a patrolman. The real Mahomet police station inspired this part of the story.
Cara stops for a nostalgic Slushie—a tradition from her childhood, and one my own niece still enjoys thanks to her dad. While you won’t find my friend Mrs. Kocher working behind the counter like in the book, you’ll recognize the intersection—home to one of Mahomet’s first traffic lights.
A heartbreaking moment in the novel takes place outside our local grocery store.
In a tender scene, Callum grabs a mocha latte to cheer Cara up. I pictured him stopping by YoYo’s Coffee & Bar, a local hangout.
The ice cream shop scene was inspired by The Main Scoop. Yes, the blue ice cream is real—and yes, it has spirulina! People love it! Callum is baffled by Cara’s choice of Cosmic Cookie.
“Blue ice cream? How old are you?” Callum asks.
“It’s healthy for you. It has spirulina in it.” Cara responds.
In case you’re wondering, spirulina is a nutrient-rich blue-green algae.
A Place for Reflection and Healing
Several Mahomet cemeteries shaped one of the novel’s most emotional scenes. I’m especially grateful to the family of Matthew Prather, whose story inspired the novel’s beginning.
Natural Beauty & Local Favorites
Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve is a local gem. My husband and I often take our grandkids to count deer at dusk. It has wooded trails, a botanical garden, a covered bridge, a koi pond, and more.
Weaving through Lake of the Woods Park, she searched for deer, which had once been a dusk activity for her and Callum.
Cara’s co-workers encourage her to get a style refresh thanks to TK Salon—my real-life go-to.
Kathy’s smile beamed ear to ear with an idea. “Make him take you someplace expensive. You should wear a fancy dress. Get your hair done. My hairdresser at TK Salon will make you look fabulous.”
August in Mahomet means the Mahomet Music Festival! It’s one of our community’s favorite summer events. Cara introduces the band Cochren and Company at the festival—one of my favorites, too.
“She looked forward to the sugary goodness of the Music Fest every year.”
A Love Letter to Mahomet
So much of Trusting Love was inspired by Mahomet—its people, its places, and its spirit. Writing this book felt like writing a love letter to the town I call home. I hope readers feel that same warmth and authenticity in every page.
