Book Ends: John Scherber, A Life Of Creative Journeys

By Bill Wilson

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ― C. S. Lewis

His journey to become a noted author of detective fiction took many turns that included cabinet making and working for the state government. And the trail went from Minneapolis to Taos, New Mexico, to San Miguel de Allende, and then back to the USA.

Scherber, who settled in México in 2007, is the author of 35 Paul Zacher mysteries in ‘The Murder in Mexico’ series. He is working on the latest edition to this lineup. In addition to this series, is his award-winning nonfiction account of the expatriate experience called “San Miguel de Allende: A Place in the Heart.”  Scherber attended the University of Minnesota, majoring in creative writing. He wrote short fiction for The Ivory Tower, the literary monthly, and served as theater and film critic for The Minnesota Daily.

“After graduation, I went to work for the Minnesota Welfare Department in the division that managed all the state mental hospitals, a truly depressing job. As an information writer, I wrote their journal articles and a quarterly review of their research titled, Current Conclusions. During this period, I also wrote two novels which I realized were not worthy of publication, so I quit writing. I was unwilling to spend a year on a project that did not yield a successful piece of work,” he notes. Scherber then served a cabinet - making apprenticeship and opened his own custom design and woodworking business in St. Paul, specializing in custom furniture and paneled rooms. He explains, “I never got beyond a sense of loss at no longer writing. But every time, like every two or three years, when I tried to start a writing project, I had a bad reaction to it psychologically and quit. I had writer’s block in this fashion for 37 years. In the meantime, I took up painting.”

How did Scherber come to write detective fiction? “In July 2005, I was on a painting trip headed for Taos, NM, when a scene came into my mind of a young woman coming to pose for a painter in his studio. She has one idea of what might happen, and he has another. When I reached the hotel, I sat down to sketch in that conversation, and to my surprise, it became the starting point of the first of my 35 detective novels in a series. It was titled “Twenty Centavos.” In the twenty years that followed I have written a total of 50 books.”

How did he come to live in San Miguel? “We traveled to Mexico beaches with our boys during school vacations and that got us wondering what those colonial cities of the interior were like. After we surveyed many of them, we chose San Miguel. When they left home in 2007, so did we.”

Book Store News From Mary Molinaro:

Find the Perfect Card at Aurora Books

Need a card for a special occasion, or just to say "thanks"? Look no further! At Aurora Books, we've got a fantastic selection of cards for every moment. Whether it's a birthday, a heartfelt thank you, or a beautifully handmade design. 

Experience the Critically Acclaimed ‘James’ at a Special Price!

Looking for your next unforgettable read? “Look no further,” says Mary Molinaro, bookstore manager, “We have more copies of Percival Everett's groundbreaking novel, ‘James’, available right now.’’ This is the book everyone is talking about. It has won major honors including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the National Book Award for Fiction, and the Kirkus Prize for Fiction. It's truly a must-read!

Explains Molinaro, “Even better? You can pick up your copy at a healthy discount for a limited time. Dive into this amazing story and see why it's receiving such incredible recognition.”