Tower of the Hand

The Wertzone summarizes George R. R. Martin's recent appearances in Finland and Estonia. The reports confirm GRRM's optimism toward completing A Dance with Dragons soon, even going so far as to suggesting a September/October writing deadline and a February 2010 release (in the UK). GRRM also estimates how quickly he can finish the final two books of A Song of Ice and Fire and the Wertzone speculates how this all fits into the schedule for the HBO adaptation.

Update: Additional reports reveal why ADWD wasn't finished two years ago, as GRRM originally planned. Adam has more details in this comment.