Sarah Luddington I couldn't believe the hate-mail I've received.

The Knights of Camelot series of books feature a number of gay and bisexual relationships and have caused outrage in some areas, particularly on Amazon US where there seems to be a concerted attack against the book’s gay content. The first in the series, Lancelot and The Wolf, is currently on a limited free promotion in ebook formats and now a Special Stonewall Edition is being launched. This edition contains extra stories dealing with the early loves of some of the main characters in the novel. There is also commentary by the author with the background to the project.

“Since this book took off I have received a huge amount of homophobic responses and some of it very unpleasant,” Sarah said. "People seemed outraged that I could suggest that King Arthur and Lancelot were in a gay relationship, yet it’s a definite undercurrent in the stories when one really studies some of the source material of Mallory or Chrétien de Troyes.”

Sarah, who only recently 'Came Out' as bisexual, is distressed that the homophobia displayed comes just at a time when the gay community is trying hard to find acceptance with regards to gay marriage. This caused Sarah to come up with the idea of a special edition. "If the State and the Church cannot acknowledge equal rights for a union built on love, how can one expect the individual to do the same? If we want to tackle gay rights, as we have women's rights or those of ethnic minorities in this country, the State institutions should lead by example." Is Sarah's stance on the subject.

Initially the edition will be available in all ebook formats at a cost of $3 with all the author’s royalties going to Stonewall.

Sarah continued, “This means readers can choose whether or not to support the charity. They can still download a free copy from Amazon or they can buy the special edition with proceeds to Stonewall.”

Lancelot and The Wolf has turned into an international phenomenon with opinion being sharply divided and much furor from many quarters regarding the nature of the relationship between King Arthur and Lancelot. Others are outraged at the the new spin on old stories but Sarah points out that the stories have been retold many times over the centuries and each retelling brings the characters to life to reflect the values of the day.

Lancelot and the Wolf is available online as an ebook or paperback from all good bookshops.

More details regarding The Knights of Camelot series can be found on the website The Knights of Camelot.

The Knights of Camelot series is published by Mirador Publishing.