When The Trees All Burned Launching April 1: No Fooling About This Apocalyptic Triumph

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DURHAM, ONTARIO – March 18, 2025 – Award-winning publisher and award-nominated author Alanna Rusnak announces the release of her highly anticipated novel When the Trees All Burned, the first book in a gripping new trilogy, launching on April 1, 2025 through Chicken House Press. The paperback will be available wherever books are sold, with the ebook exclusively available on Kindle for the first ninety days.

The April Fool’s Day release date is no coincidence but rather a calculated choice that underscores the novel’s central themes. In When the Trees All Burned, humanity dismisses the warnings of eccentric billionaire Rajiv Montgomery Noah as entertainment, folly, or delusion—only to discover too late that he was telling the truth all along. The April 1st release brilliantly reinforces this narrative of ignored prophecies and misplaced mockery, asking readers to consider: Who is the real fool—the one who warns of danger, or the one who laughs at the warning?

Set primarily in Canada’s rugged northern landscape, the novel centres around Rajiv Montgomery Noah’s “Eden” —a sophisticated survival dome constructed over the abandoned Rabbit Mountain Mine near Thunder Bay, Ontario. As the world faces imminent destruction, Noah’s prophetic warnings become the foundation for a chilling exploration of humanity’s response to catastrophe.

The novel’s rich Canadian backdrop becomes more than setting; it transforms into a central character as Rusnak weaves together multiple storylines across the country, from Toronto’s Leslieville to Thunder Bay’s historic Prince Arthur Hotel. The story examines how different communities prepare for—or deny—the approaching apocalypse, showcasing the resilience, doubt, and hope that emerge in the face of extinction.

At its heart, When The Trees All Burned poses powerful questions about survival: What makes someone worthy of salvation? What would you sacrifice to ensure humanity continues? And what becomes of those left behind when the unthinkable actually happens?

Early readers have been captivated by Rusnak’s masterful storytelling:

“It's a wonderful story about faith, humanity, and degrees of faith in humanity,” says earrly reader Michael Werden. “The world Alanna has created here really is our own and could play out this way any day now.”

Jennifer Moffatt, author of A Hard Sell, praises the novel as “a page-turner that hit all the spots for me! Beautiful descriptions of nature and moments in life both big and small... Everything about When The Trees All Burned was highly satisfying.”

“The prophecies of Rajiv seem outlandish yet horrifyingly believable at the same time,” shares Amber Kuipers, author of When Grey Came to Stay. “Rusnak is a master wordsmith who weaves non-linear sequencing, alternating perspectives, and complex characters to create a nuanced yet heart-wrenching book about humanity and what really matters when our time ends.”

Reader Brianne Lilly adds, “For nights on end after I was hearing in my head, ‘What if he's right?’ Can't wait to see what happens next!”

Join the author for a launch party at the Durham Art Gallery on Saturday, April 5 at a 2:00 p.m. Event will include readings, live music, book signing, and light refreshments.

When the Trees All Burned is the perfect blend of character-driven drama and apocalyptic fiction, offering a chillingly plausible vision of humanity’s end while exploring what makes us human in the first place.

About the Author

Alanna Rusnak lives on a little patch of untamable land in small town Ontario with her husband, children, a rude cat, and a vintage van she's far too excited about. Her debut novel was a finalist for the 2018 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize and named one of the top reader-recommended titles of 2017 by cbcbooks.ca. She writes fiction in her office, an old chicken coop that has been renovated into a beautiful work space where she also runs an award-winning publishing company and a literary arts magazine called Blank Spaces.

For more information, review copies, or to schedule an interview with Alanna Rusnak, please contact the author at alanna@chickenhousepress.ca