Back in February, we reported that the publisher for Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has no plans to release the sixth book in his A Song of Fire and Ice series this year. Which essentially means that the HBO series will catch up to the books. Of course, there is a chance that the sixth book could debut in early 2016, before Season 6 debuts. But that has yet to be confirmed. While we wait for any official word about when the sixth book, entitled The Winds of Winter, will debut, George R.R. Martin posted an update on his LiveJournal blog entitled Not A Blog, where the author reveals that he is skipping a few major conventions this year, including Comic-Con 2015, to focus on finishing The Winds of Winter, which he jokingly refers to as Son of Kong in his statement.

I don't often attend the World Fantasy Convention (not to be confused with the World Science Fiction Convention, which I have only missed once thirty years), but I was there the last time it was held in Saratoga, and I had a great time. A terrific town, a wonderful con. This year the convention is returning to Saratoga once again, and I was hoping to return as well. I'm not a guest of honor, and I'm not (so far as I know) getting an award; I just wanted to go. Reluctantly, however, I've just had to scratch Saratoga off my list of 2015 appearances. For no reason having to do with the con itself. I am sure it will be terrific. It's just a matter of time. I have too much to do. Too many things on my plate. Son of Kong foremost amongst them. My apologies to anyone who saw Saratoga on my Appearances page and planned to go in order to see me. I won't be there. Go anyway. You'll have a great time. Also, I have decided against attending this year's San Diego Comicon. Same reason. But since Comicon was never listed on my Appearances page, scratching it is not as big a deal. (Should I complete and deliver Winds of Winter before these cons roll round, I reserve the right to change my mind).

The end of George R.R. Martin's update is most interesting, hinting there may be a chance that The Winds of Winter may be done this year in order for him to attend these conventions. Even if he does finish the actual writing of the book, it still could be quite some time before it is actually published. Season 5, which debuts April 12 and is based on the fourth and fifth books, will feature the deaths of characters who are still alive in the books, teasing the show will be deviating from the source material considerably. While the author remains in control of the books, when it comes to the series, he does still have a say in the show's direction, but not the final word. Here's what George R.R. Martin had to say about talk of the show extending beyond seven seasons.

"As we go forward, I expect I will have a voice in all these decisions. But mine will only be one voice among many, and there are all sorts of other factors that can come into play. I will say, I am incredibly fortunate in having partners like HBO, and David Benioff and Dan Weiss. Seven seasons, ten seasons, with or without one or two feature films... in the end, all that matters is that we tell a great story, with a great end."

Even if George R.R. Martin doesn't finish his sixth book before Season 6, the author has already told showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss his plans for the final books in A Song of Fire and Ice, so they can plan the next two seasons accordingly. Do you think the author will crank out the last two books in time? Let us know what you think below.