Come Explore Beech Mountain, the Setting in Crossroads Suspense

Each book in my Crossroads Suspense series takes my lead characters to at least two settings, one of which is Beech Mountain, North Carolina. This location is close to my heart, as my now-husband taught me to ski there and proposed at a nearby vista called Wiseman’s View. This setting remains one of our favorite family travel spots. Let me share some pictures so you’ll understand why I love this location—in real life and fiction.

Beautiful Mountain Vistas

How can you not fall in love with views like these? I suppose it helps that my husband’s and my own romance (from dating to engaged to now married) involved trips here. The pictures don’t do the view justice.

Banner Elk Café

No trip to Beech Mountain is complete without grabbing a bite to eat and a London Fog at Banner Elk Café. We drive past this café on our way to Beech Mountain and often come back into the town of Banner Elk to get some food while we’re there. In Watch Your Back, my characters enjoy brunch here. Pictured below is my young son and me during our fall trip in 2023.

Wooly Worm Festival

The town of Banner Elk hosts the annual Wooly Worm Festival. As my heroine Avery reluctantly learns in Watch Your Back, this festival is North Carolina’s version of Groundhog’s Day. The pattern of the winning worm determines the length of winter. You really need to see worms racing up strings in person to believe this event isn’t purely fictional. But seriously, it’s a fun family time. I’ve been twice!

Overlook Barn

In Watch Your Back, Avery’s and Ethan’s mutual best friends tie the knot at Overlook Barn, a real wedding venue with stunning views. My husband and I attended our friends’ wedding there several years ago, and I knew then that I’d write it into a book.

Other Memorable Places

I haven’t even mentioned Beech Mountain Ski Resort, which is perfect for skiing in the winter. To enjoy the wintry feel of Beech Mountain and shiver at the idea of a slopeside stalker, you’ll want to open Take My Hand, book one in the series.

If majestic waterfalls and romantic proposals overshadowed by a dangerously possessive fiancé better fit your suspense bill, check out Hold Your Breath, book two.

For now, I hope you’ve enjoyed a brief taste and tour of the Beech Mountain area. What is a setting near and dear to your heart?

~ Kristen