Fans awaiting "The Winds of Winter" release may have to wait longer than they are expecting as the book is not likely to hit the stands in 2017. The rumors about the book being published next year appears to be mere speculations as one of George R. R. Martin's publisher has issued a statement, clearly negating the rumors. Not only this, Amazon France has also taken down the placeholder it had put up a few days back.

According to reports, "The Winds of Winter" appears to be delayed as one of Martin's publishers Random House has spoken up about the release rumors. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Random House said that as his publisher they support Martin as he is working hard to finish the "The Winds of Winter." It also said that any on-sale dates currently listed online for the novel are incorrect and once they have a publication date for the book, the world will know.

From the statement, it is clear that the publisher has slammed Amazon France, which had listed "The Winds of Winter" release date on its site a few days back. According to the site, the book's release would be happening in March 2017 but now they have also taken down the listing, reports Christian Daily. In fact, the publisher's statement made the site take action as they are the only source that can claim to make any announcement about the release date of the much-awaited book.

Notably, "The Winds of Winter" release is one of the most debated topics in the media as fans are waiting for the book for five years. It was in 2011 that "A Dance with Dragons" released and it took Martin altogether five years to write. The next installment is in progress ever since and the author has said sorry to his fans for the delay. He also acknowledged that he is poor at meeting deadlines.

Well, it is just hoped that the book is a treat to read and fans would not really mind if it takes a little longer.