Beer Money

Beer Money

In 1881, Iowa City was a bustling town full of immigrants. The population was exploding, and that meant two things: Fortunes were being made overnight and trouble was afoot.

A captivating feat of historical fiction set during the 1880s clash between the prohibitionists and the three most powerful brewers in Iowa City—known as “The Beer Mafia.” German, Czech, and Irish immigrants poured into America in the mid-1800s. They brought their language and traditions with them…and their love of brewing and drinking beer. In 1881, Iowa City was a bustling town full of immigrants. The population was exploding, and that meant two things: Fortunes were being made overnight and trouble was afoot. Three large breweries had taken root, sprouting strong and proud in the “Northside” neighborhood. In one generation the brewers became wealthy and powerful men. They also came to be known as “The Beer Mafia.” The more powerful the brewers grew, the more passionate the ladies of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union became about abolishing alcohol altogether. They took their fight to the saloon, the street, and the Statehouse, preaching prohibition. Conrad Graf, J.J. Englert and John Dostal thought of themselves as honest businessmen capitalizing on America’s explosive growth by simply providing a product people wanted. Vernice Armstrong thought they were selling sin and destroying everything that made America great, one beer at a time. She made it her mission in life to bring them down, but they weren’t about to go down without a fight. Blending real-life historical figures with compelling fictional characters, Beer Money is the story of how the brewers and “Teetotalers” slammed head-on into each other, turning the prairie red with blood. This is a tale of how the seemingly innocuous love of brewing and drinking beer became the flashpoint, sparking events that would shape America for a generation.

View More Books

Lone Wolf Canyon

Lone Wolf Canyon

Lance “Ham” Hamilton thought he’d said goodbye to his dangerous life as an Army Ranger—no roadside bombs, nobody shooting at you. Little does he know that the violence of the Middle East is waiting for him in America.

Read More »
Hell and Back

Hell and Back

Do people who commit suicide go to hell? That’s the question Joe Rellik has been asking himself for years and he’s convinced they do. His daughter killed herself. He…

Read More »
Leaving Southfields

Leaving Southfields

Novel based on true events. Leaving Southfields chronicles the events of a young English Puritan, Philip Sherman, as he is swept up into the great happenings of his day. Philip’s…

Read More »
Moxie

Moxie

The only adventures Moxie Malekin ever had were found in the pages of good books where she discovered worlds of intrigue, danger, and love. These stories were the exact opposite…

Read More »
7 Days 6 Nights

Seven Days and Six Nights

Seven Days and six nights under the stars in the middle of a thousand lakes on the Canada/Minnesota border was supposed to be the best time of their lives. Jack, Lincoln, and Max…

Read More »
Mercy Shot

Mercy Shot

What if someone in the Aurora theatre would have been armed? What if a teacher in Newtown had been carrying a concealed weapon? At the Riverside Church Massacre…someone was.

Read More »