'Winds of Winter' release date still a mystery; Christmas launch rumors slammed by George R. R. Martin

George RR Martin [Photo credit: George RR Martin | Twitter]

Contrary to rumors, George R. R. Martin's much-anticipated book "Winds of Winter" will not show up by Christmas or in 2014 for that matter. With the launch of "12 Days of Westeros" Christmas countdown on Twitter (where photos of characters and Houses in his stories were tweeted daily), fans presumed that they were a dozen days away from the unveiling of the new book. But to everyone's dismay, no novel showed up. 

In the author's cleverly named blog called "Not A Blog," he broke down the sad news and confirmed his fans' book nightmares. 

"The announcement will be straightforward and to the point. I won't time it to coincide with Xmas or Valentine's Day or Lincoln's Birthday, the book will not rise from the dead with Jesus on Easter Sunday. When it is done, I will say that it is done, on whatever day I happen to finish," Martin stated in his blog. 

Ecumenical News added that the bestselling novelist will not resort to announcing the new book in social media, as he is not active in any of them, allthough he admits that it is the best channel he uses in reaching a majority of fans, Master Herald reported. On that juncture, he warned fans about fake accounts that bear his name, which are suspected to be the primary source of the false rumors about the upcoming book. 

What it sure about "Winds of Winter" is that Martin is still working on it and that a release date is yet to be determined. But this has not stopped fans from looking to 2015 for the official launch, mid-2015 to narrow it down. Master Herald previously iterated the juicy details dropped by the 66-year-old writer so far, which confirms the inclusion of events such as the Battle of Meereen and chapters dedicated to Barristan Selmy and Tyrion Lannister.

News
What do we know about Simon of Cyrene?
What do we know about Simon of Cyrene?

Easter may have passed, but some figures in the story stay with us long after the day itself. One of those is Simon of Cyrene - a man who appears for only a moment, says nothing, and then disappears. And yet, his story carries lessons we can hold onto all year round.

There may not be a Christian revival, but Britain’s traditional churches aren’t doomed
There may not be a Christian revival, but Britain’s traditional churches aren’t doomed

There are good reasons to doubt that Britain is experiencing a Christian revival today – but that does not mean it is dying out.

Pastor preaches in Bristol city centre despite fears of arrest
Pastor preaches in Bristol city centre despite fears of arrest

A pastor has returned to street preaching in Bristol city centre just over four months after he was arrested for his comments on Islam and transgender ideology. 

The biblical backstory of Iran
The biblical backstory of Iran

Iran is back in the headlines. The word “Iran” does not appear in the Bible, but the names of preceding peoples and empires occupying that land today are written into the biblical narrative. This is the story …