Has George R.R. Martin Finished 'Winds Of Winter'?

I've been hearing a seriously exciting A Song of Ice and Fire rumor lately: word on the grapevine is that George R.R. Martin has finished writing The Winds of Winter . Fans have been waiting for this for a long time — but can it be true?! Well, the disappointing answer is.... no.

George R.R. Martin did give his fans a pretty generous gift on Tuesday, by releasing a brand new Winds of Winter excerpt on his website. So we can't be too mad at the man, despite what he then went on to reveal: he still hasn't finished the book we've all been waiting for. In a new blog post, Martin decided to "spike any bullsh*t rumors" by declaring that the new sample chapter "does NOT mean [he is] done." Got it, guys? It's not happening just yet.

So when is Winds of Winter coming out? Unfortunately, we're no closer to finding out the truth. Fans are still crossing their fingers for a 2016 release — though some people are starting to get worried Winds of Winter will be delayed until 2017 (eek). Despite all the debate, the only answer Martin would give us was the infuriatingly vague "one day..." But which day, George? We need to know!

Sadly, all we can do for now is wait... and obsessively re-read the new Winds of Winter chapter Martin posted. And after reading that, you gotta hand it to the guy: he may be a slow writer, but he sure knows how to spin a great story.

Check It Out: 'A Song of Ice and Fire' Books 1-5, $30, Amazon