Author George R.R. Martin firmly denied the rumors that the sixth installment of his bestselling "A Song of Ice and Fire" novels will come out this year. In his blog, the author clarified the speculations that "The Winds of Winter" will have a 2015 release date based on a countdown posted on his publisher's Twitter account last December.
"Sorry. Not true. Look, I've said it before and I will say again, I don't play games with news about the books. I know how many people are waiting, how long they have been waiting, how anxious they are. I am still working on WINDS. When it's done, I will announce it here," Martin said.
The author also explained that the so-called countdown is nothing but his "Westorosi" take on the Christmas countdown, and nothing else. He said that his publisher simply asked him to give a twist to the typical 12 Days of Christmas countdown and he agreed.
Martin also told eagerly waiting book aficionados that he will make a straightforward announcement about its release date, and it will not be in a form of codes.
"There won't be any clues to decipher, any codes or hidden meanings, 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's it is done, on whatever day I happen to finish," the author firmly stated.
"The Winds of Winter" will be the sixth book in Martin's popular series called "A Song of Ice and Fire." The first five books in the series are "A Game of Thrones," "A Clash of Kings," "A Storm of Swords," "A Feast for Crows," and "A Dance with Dragons." The seventh and last installment will bear the title "A Dream of Spring."
HBO adapted Martin's novels and release the popular epic TV series titled "Game of Thrones," which will air its fifth season starting April 5.
