via Rolling Stone Magazine copy desk -May 4, 2016
A publishing insider claimed today the final two books of George R. R. Martin's epic A Song of Fire and Ice, series, The Winds of Winter, and, A Dream of Spring, have been completed and are at publication. According to the source--who requested her name not be released, "His plan all along was to do just as he did with the previous titles, "A Feast for Crows," and "A Dance with Dragons," -write both books simultaneously." She continued, "He truly has never been concerned about the show surpassing the books, but he has been concerned with spoiling the HBO show as he feels the production is an adequate adaptation of his novels." The source also stated it is rumored on June 15 following completion of the sixth season of the highly-praised HBO show Game of Thrones publishers will announce an early limited-edition pre-release of, The Winds of Winter, with priority sales given to subscribers of HBO's premium service HBOGO. The confidential source hinted A Dream of Spring would roughly comprise 1050 pages with a targeted July 2018 pre-release announcement.
Can't wait for some Brienne chapters. Dae world building???
GRRM just posted on his Not A Blog website another early-release chapter containing two new characters being introduced in the subsequent The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring follow-on books. Here is what he posted with a explanation:
CHAPTER 28 - The Twins
"Candienne and Mandienne stirred Ser Bronn's pourrege as he looked on in appreciative reflection. The twins--no older than twentysome in appearance, had at one time been the privileged laced daughters of the now deceased Lord Elmer of House Fudd --himself a notorious Fleabottom tax collector who maximized the pudging strength of his 24 henchmen in strong-arm tactics. With each turn upon the magical wandly spoon the serrly knight felt an inner calm urgeness to spew a release of encouraged banter as the dames were more than eager to satisfy his manly appetite. As these identical soiled doves of Fleabottom Fair were co-joined at the hips Bronn thought himself a lucky man indeed as he was the recipient of a rare two-for-one pourrege exchange."
About this passage GRRM states: As most readers know I based many of my writings and characterizations on empirical historical data, personally researched settings, and in fact in some instances people I have met and known through the course of life. Candienne and Mandienne were .. or rather are, well-desribed friends of a friend of mine ... and well, they are in fact as described two women with separate upper torsos yet of the same lower body .. rather unique .. but in my mind they truly represent two ladies each with a separate personality that my friend met at the Dusseldorff COMICON back in '98 -they themselves dressed and presenting in anime fashion the twin characters Jamie and Cersai Lannister.. I believe if I remember correctly Candienne had on an ornate golden red costume with faux ruby adornments similar in fact to something Cersai would wear ... and Mandienne .. well, Mandienne was more manly perhaps .. well armored-plated like Jamie... regardless... I guess I had lost myself there for a minute in a past dream ... Yes, like most events following COMICON there were after-parties, comradery among fellow writers who themselves can be quite the debauched crowd at times and yadda yadda yadda my buddy came home later in a smiley stupor reporting a wonderful experience I later thought to include in the books ... itself making for an appropriate plot device along the trail of Bronn moving himself towards the Riverlands to fight the now traitorous Bolton army led by Lord Ramsay or whomever does that .... So as far as the apfflestrüdel of the matter goes that's how the Candienne and Mandienne characters were conceptualized, made it into the books and I hope the readers enjoys their roles as much as my friend did."