(Reuters)

To say that the sixth installment of George R.R. Martin's widely successful "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, "The Winds of Winter," is one of the most anticipated book titles is definitely an understatement.

With the previous books being international best sellers and the TV adaptation of the series nominated for multiple awards, the excitement for the upcoming sequel is really not all that surprising.

However, it has been four years since the fifth installment, "A Dance with Dragons," was published and the television show has finally caught up with the novels. So fans of the franchise are at the very least worried that the book might not be finished before the sixth season of "Game of Thrones" premieres.

While Martin has yet to announce the release date of " The Winds of Winter," he does, however, explain why the process has taken so long.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the author claimed that the progress of "The Winds of Winter" was quite hasty at the onset. However, prior commitments have sent the writing to a screeching halt. He explained:

"I was red hot on the book and I put it aside for six months I was pushing so hard that I was writing very well. I should have just gone on from there, because I was so into it and it was moving so fast then. But I didn't because I had to switch gears into the editing phase and then the book tour. The iron does cool off, for me especially."

While the sit-down with Martin once again bore no announcement of the book's release, he did provide spoilers for the sixth book claiming that a twist would be happening to one major character in "The Winds of Winter."

"This is going to drive your readers crazy but I love it. I'm still weighing whether to go that direction or not. It's a great twist."