George R.R. Martin Hard At Work To Ensure 'Winds Of Winter' Release Date Soon? Writer Places Third Spot In Hollywood's Most Powerful Authors

Rumors are rife that the "Winds of Winter" release date could be next year as George R. R. Martin reportedly buckled down to work on the novel. Meanwhile, the author ranked third among Hollywood's most influential authors.

A source told Hollywood Life earlier that the "Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens" trailer provided the necessary impetus to light a fire on the author to finish the book.

"He was really excited about the Star Wars trailer and knows that people will feel the same way once his book is out. He finally looked into things as a fan and not as a writer," the source said. "The trailer opened up something he has been missing lately, the wonderment of everything is making his creative juices flow again. He is determined to have the new book out and ready for 2015."

Whether that means the "Winds of Winter" release date will be announced soon is another matter. Rumors such as this are always taken with a grain of salt after several false alarms and speculations concerning George R.R. Martin's book.

Meanwhile, George R.R. Martin placed third in Hollywood's list of most powerful authors only behind Stephen King and J.K. Rowling.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, which compiled the list, the author has already sold 24 million books since 1996, and the series which was based on his "A Song of Fire and Ice" novels became the most watched show on TV.

"If it seems like you've seen a lot of Martin this year -- well, you have," it said. "The author, 66, tripled his 2013 late-night appearances with stops at Conan, Last Week Tonight and Late Night, where he was fawned over by Seth Meyers and fellow guest Amy Poehler."

The website also confirmed that George R.R. Martin is "cutting back on his appearances" to prepare for a big 2015, which possibly include the release date for "Winds of Winter."