I first heard "More to This" on the radio during a long drive home. The opening lines about contemplating death and what lies beyond immediately seized my attention — they perfectly echoed the questions my characters wrestle with throughout When the Trees All Burned. Before the song was even over, I knew it belonged on the novel's soundtrack.

The haunting lyrics of First Aid Kit's "The Lion's Roar" resonate deeply with the themes and imagery in When The Trees All Burned. Released in January 2012 as the title track of the Swedish folk duo's second album, the song carries a weight that seems almost prophetic when paired with my upcoming novel.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to know exactly when and how the world will end?

When Rajiv Montgomery Noah was 11 years old, his mother lay dying from industrial poison in Bhopal, India. She pressed a brass lion into his palm and told him he would be the solution to earth's destruction. That same night, he received a vision of fire that would consume the world.