It's been a long time since "The Winds of Winter" was announced. George R.R. Martin's sixth book in the series of "A Song of Ice and Fire" has been the subject of much speculation, mostly due to the many delays that it has gone through. However, there is now wide belief that Martin will unveil the finished novel at the upcoming Worldcon.

The renowned author took to his LiveJournal to announce his presence at the upcoming event. And although the convention will also feature television shows, films, and other forms of entertainment, Martin pointed out that the event is mainly for books.

"I will be there, along with hundreds of other writers, artists, and editors, and thousands of fans. If you have never been to a con before, this is the one to go to... assuming you're a reader," Martin wrote.

However, it was his second to the last line in the post that caught the attention of "A Song of Ice and Fire" fans. "And yes, of course, I'll be doing other stuff in Kansas City as well. A couple of panels, a reading, maybe some other stuff," he teased.

Could Martin be gearing up for a big reveal at Worldcon? That remains to be seen since the author has not confirmed such a thing as of yet. But of course, there is still the lingering hope that he may just surprise everyone at the event. For now, fans should take the news with a grain of salt.

There is also some speculation about the novel's cause of delay. According to reports, there is the possibility that Martin has been simultaneously working on "The Winds of Winter" and the seventh novel in the series, "A Dream of Spring." The combined workload is certainly enough to cause a delay in release, but there is also the belief that Martin may opt to release both novels at the same time — be it at Worldcon or some other time.

Whether this rumor is true or if Martin simply has writer's block, the excitement surrounding the novel has not diminished.