The chance is quite slim a 2017 release date for "The Winds of Winter" will happen and the main reason - George RR Martin is extremely busy. The "Game of Thrones" creator has earlier admitted ongoing projects swamp him at the moment and more recently fresh distractions emerged, which could easily delay things he's been doing, including the task to complete TWoW.

And that is unlikely to happen anytime soon as Martin reported on his latest blog post that he's dealing with some form of disruptions. First, he will need to get a new place and set up a temporary workplace, which Martin said should be accomplished real quick. "I should be settled in at the new place within a week or so," GRRM wrote.

Martin revealed he's renovating the old place and the ongoing construction will see the installation of a new and a few more improvements. It was clear the author will need to vacate the place for the time being "while the old workspace gets a new roof and some cool additions." It goes without saying Martin's work schedule will be slightly pushed back and not only by the underway home improvements but by his upcoming travel plans.

It appears Martin has blocked July for work though it's unimaginable that The Winds of Winter will be finalized in a month's time. By August, work will be halted anew as Martin is headed to New York, then to Finland and finally in Russia. GRRM said it's all work for him for the balance of 2017. Purposely, he restricted himself to two overseas travels with the intention of getting things done.

In the same blog post, Martin outlined the workloads that require his attention. The Game of Thrones spinoffs, which he prefer to call successor shows, are moving forward but unlikely to wrap up all at once. Also lined up are three Wild Cards series in which Martin's involvement is in the editing and rewriting process. As the writer had admitted before, the urge is inside him to see a Wild Cards title bearing his name but that will have to wait until the "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series is complete.

GRRM also teased of possible television projects but the details cannot be disclosed at the moment.

There was no mention if TWoW will come out prior to the Game of Thrones Season 7 premiere on July 16 and it's a safe bet the volume will again be outpaced by the HBO adaptation, indicating the show will include bits of spoilers.

But as stressed by Martin in the past, TWoW and ASOIAF have taken on a course that will only be unique for book readers. True there might be hints of the things to come provided by GoT but the book will still carry story arcs that will not be seen on TV. For instance, the GoT creator said Robert's Rebellion will be part of ASOIAF if not in The Winds of Winter then in "A Dream of Spring."

In an earlier blog, Martin declared: "I AM STILL WORKING ON WINDS OF WINTER and will continue working on it until it's done." However, when exactly the book release date remains a mystery to be solved, unlikely not within this year.