NEW YORK — Winter is not coming.

“Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin says he missed a Dec. 31 deadline to finish “The Winds of Winter,” the latest book in his fantasy series. That means the HBO season based on that sixth novel will start airing in April, while he’s still writing.

The words “you won’t like it” appeared Saturday on Martin’s blog, reporting the missed deadline.

Martin says he wanted to say he’s delivered “The Winds of Winter” for publication, but estimates it’ll take months more if all goes well.

Martin apologized to fans eagerly awaiting the next installment of the series, in which characters warn of impending doom with the phrase, “Winter is coming.” And he says he’s been working with HBO to ensure the series reflects the as-yet-unfinished book.

“For months now I have wanted nothing so much as to be able to say, ‘I have completed and delivered ‘The Winds of Winter’ on or before the last day of 2015,” Martin wrote on his blog. “But the book’s not done. … Unfortunately, the writing did not go as fast or as well as I would have liked. … You can blame my age, and maybe that had an impact too … but if truth be told, sometimes the writing goes well and sometimes it doesn’t.”


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