Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore, a preview

I have been following the progress of this book on Facebook and Twitter for months now, and so am glad to finally get some details on it!  Christopher Moore has to be one of my all-time favorite author's.  I have yet to read anything by him that I did not enjoy, and that's saying something, considering this will be his 13th book.

Moore's ability to create charming characters, who all seem to have more than a fair dose of smart ass in them, coupled with great story telling, and a sense of humour so subtly ingrained in all aspects of his writing, makes his works highly sought after in my life.  Once I start reading one, I can't put it down, and will usually read all of his books back-to-back.

A write up on the newest novel (from http://en.risingshadow.net/library?action=book&book_id=31064):

Sacre Bleu, or sacred blue, named for the color of the cloak of the Virgin Mary, is made from crushed lapis lazuli, a gemstone prized for its deep hue. Brought from the Orient by camel and ship, across deserts and over mountains, this dazzling pigment coveted by artists is infused with danger and adventure and even, some say, the supernatural...
The son of a baker, who is the son of a baker, who is the son of a baker, who is... Lucien Lessard was destined for a life in flour until a brush with his father’s Impressionist friends Renoir, Monet, Bazille, Pissaro, and Cezanne changed his perspective. And then there was Juliette, the dark-haired young beauty with eyes the color of a summer sky. Driven by passion, Lucien spent his days painting his beloved muse sheathed in a bewitching blue dress.

But one day, all of Lucien’s paintings mysteriously disappeared. Gone, too, was Juliette — and the twisted little fellow known as The Colorman, the strange dealer in a brown suit and bowler hat who trafficked in artists’ paints, in particular a startlingly intense shade of blue.

Two years later, Juliette suddenly reappears. Along with a little man in a bowler. Oh là là, can trouble be far behind?

A tale of intrigue, passion, and art history filled with crusty bread, can-can girls, absinthe, Toulouse Lautrec, fin de siècle Paris, and many other French assortments, Sacre Bleu is a wonderfully witty masterpiece from the ever-impressive Christopher Moore.

For those initiated in Moore's world, men in bowlers are never a good thing for the beta-male lead character in a book, but they always bring action and adventure.

I've seen a few different release/publication dates on this one, some for in March and others in April, but either way, I'm waiting with baited breath.  This is one I'll be looking to pick up right away!

Update! (October 13)

Straight from Christopher Moore's Facebook page:

Hey, the new book, Sacré Bleu will be out April 3, 2012, but it might be available a week before that, if you want to preorder it or something. I'm working on the next one, which is another Shakespeare-based adventure like Fool. I'm just sort of throwing this stuff out there because everyone seems to ask.

Not only do we get news about this book, but the next one too!?!  And since Fool rocked super-hard, I'm super excited to see which play(s) get the Moore treatment.