'The Winds of Winter' release is some months away, says author George R.R. Martin in blog update

George R.R. Martin arrives for the season premiere of HBO's "Game of Thrones."Reuters/Robert Galbraith

It has been years since the last "A Song of Ice and Fire" novel was released, and fans of both the fantasy book series and its epic television adaptation are still eagerly awaiting the next one. George R.R. Martin, the author of the series, shared that he is still months away from completing the next book, which is called "The Winds of Winter." Due to the long intermission, the people at the office of Martin's publisher can no longer recognize him.

The author shared the story last week through a Twitter post. He said he was in New York City and that everywhere he goes, people recognize him. He shared that he gets stopped on the streets so people can take photos with him. However, there is one place where people do not recognize who he is.

"The only place I was not recognised was my publisher's offices, where the security guards stopped me and demanded to see my ID," the author wrote.

The story reflects how long it's been since Martin released "A Dance With Dragons," the fifth installment in the series. Naturally, fans responded to the tweet with inquiries on whether he has completed the sixth book's manuscript.

A few weeks ago, Martin wrote on his Live Journal page that he is still months away from completing "The Winds of Winter." "I am still working on it, I am still months away (how many? good question)," he wrote. "I still have good days and bad days, and that's all I care to say."

The 68-year old novelist is also working on another book called "Fire and Blood." It will recount the history of the Targaryens, a powerful clan introduced in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series, during their days as rulers of the continent of Westeros. He said it is still hard to say which book between "The Winds of Winter" or "Fire and Blood" will be released first, but he's confident that a Westeros book will be coming in 2018.