Drawing The Line

Newly arrived in 1938 Los Angeles Maggie Goodwin aims to bust down the doors at Harley Studios and become their very first lady-animator. But her iron-fisted boss cant abide the idea of a woman joining the ranks of his top-men and sends her off to the Paint and Ink Room to color-in with the rest of his girls.There Maggie befriends an eye-rolling agitator with an axe to grind a bottle-blonde broad with a penchant for jewels and sets about proving herself with a paintbrush- namely applying blue to a daily procession of twirling skirts. And after a chance encounter with Harleys trouble-making rather handsome lead-animator Maggie hunts him down for advice on pencils cartoon-critters and all things animation. If she can get her intrepid squirrel up and running the big-cheese just might take notice.But the Paint and Ink girls are on strict orders to put in the hard-yards without a squeak of complaint. If The Little Orphan doesnt hit screens by Christmas it wont have a chance of being Harleys best selling film ever or make capital-H-history for that matter.And Maggie soon discovers the Harley behemoth isnt quite the family trade-papers would have her believe. Not everyone is happy about busting their guts to get the fairy-tale orphan in the can especially Maggies brand-new unionist pals. There are rumblings in the ranks rumblings that cant be cured by privileges for the few or a Hollywood party serving as many coconut-rum concoctions a girl could possibly want.And when a looming strike throws a great big spanner into the heart of Maggies ambitions she turns to a tongue-tied admirer with stellar connections for help all the while hoping he wont get the wrong idea and think she plans on getting romantic.Drawing The Line takes the reader back to a bygone era of animation to a time when men drew the lines and women were expected to stay between them. A delightful engaging heart-warming debut novel about friendship ambition struggle and love.