George R.R. Martin releases a chapter of ‘Winds of Winter’

Thanks to George R.R. Martin, a little bit of winter is here.

Martin has released a chapter of “The Winds of Winter,” his hotly anticipated next installment in the Song of Ice and Fire series, known to TV fans as “Game of Thrones.”

Although the first books appeared in two-year installments, the books started being released further apart. Five years passed between “A Storm of Swords” and “A Feast for Crows,” and another six did before “A Dance with Dragons” came out in 2011. He’s so busy now with “The Winds of Winter” that he’s canceled plans to attend the World Fantasy Convention and San Diego’s Comic-Con.

In the past, publication delays have meant Martin has faced the ire of fans who want him to write faster. By releasing a chapter, he’s appeasing the ravenous desire for the next novel. He released another chapter, “Mercy,” in March of last year.

On his blog (called Not a Blog), Martin writes, “Yes, I know, I’d said there would be no more sample chapters, but (1) it had been more than a year since Mercy, (2) lots of you were asking, and (3) Anne Groell and my friends at Bantam twisted my arm.”

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