Best-selling author George R.R. Martin has apologized for barely finishing "The Winds of Winter" earlier this year and has promised his fans to put a lot effort into it. Although no official announcement has been made yet, many believe that the book will be out this year.

The renowned author of "A Song of Fire and Ice" has expressed disappointment over the delay of his sixth installment, "The Winds of Winter." The HBO TV show, which is loosely based on his novels, has already premiered a season ahead of the book and has caused anxiety to fans.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly last month, Martin shared some details about the upcoming novel that led people to believe he is almost done with his writing. He said a big, revealing twist is in store for a longtime character, which is not in the original plan. He teased, "This is going to drive your reader crazy but I love it."

While the big twist is something unexpected, he also assures that "This is something that seems very organic and natural, and I could see how it would happen. And with the various three, four characters involved… it all makes sense."

Twists are usually revealed nearing the end of a story, and once a plot is set, supporting details and dialogues are filled in. Fans have to accept by now that the current season of "Game of Thrones" has certainly deviated a lot from the material. It has also been teased that a dead character on the show may end up to be an important character in the book.

It looks like Martin is also putting pressure on himself. He said, "I wish it was out now. Maybe I'm being overly optimistic about how quickly I can finish. But I cancelled two conventions appearances, I'm turning down a lot more interviews — anything I can do to clear my decks and get this done."