It’s June already.  The year is halfway over.  PAWS needs to start thinking about next year.  My term as editor will be over, and someone must step up and take over.  If anyone is interested but not sure if she can handle the job, call me and I’ll give you the rundown – even walk you through putting an issue together.
    This issue is a mixed bag of topics.  You’ll find info on mystery, inspirational, technical writing, grammar, research, and contests/markets.  Hopefully, something is here for everyone.
     Linda Goodnight begins a three-part series on grammar this month.  L.C. Hayden lists some important “Elements of Mystery.”  Deb Kastner shares what makes an Inspirational Romance as opposed to a regular romance.  I’ve dug up some interesting facts about the U.S. Marshals that should interest a broad range of writers.  My on-line critique partner sent me a great article by Deborah Rossman, “Concentrate on Conflict.”  There other juicy writing tidbits tucked into the rest of the issue.  Enjoy!
    Articles and information for July’s Paw Prints is due July 2nd.

    Last month, on the night of our meeting, my trusty mailman brought me two pieces of mail, a letter and a package, each from a different agent.
    Fearing that the package was a rejection, I tossed it unopened into the office and ignored it.  The letter, on the other hand, turned out to be a request to see my book.  Heartened, I opened the package, too, hoping to find out why she didn't’t like the book.  Imagine my incredulity when it contained, not a rejection, but a request for minor revisions and a letter praising my story in glowing terms.  After a good cry, I rushed into the office and began making those revisions.
    Needless to say, by the time I remembered our meeting, it was too late to come.  Sorry.  God willing, I’ll be there this time.  Hope you will be, too.

    One of Inkspots regular features in the newsletter, Inklings, is a Q&A section with published authors.  Judith Bowen, the resident romance author, answered the question this month, “What is a chapter?”  Though it may sound basic, it’s something that most of us probably don’t think about.  Could you give a strong answer if asked this question?  Read on to hear Bowen’s answer.

Q. I'm not always sure what separates one chapter from another, i.e., are there a certain number of chapters in a novel/mss, or how do I know when to start a chapter, etc.?

A. Well, what's a chapter--really? Novels were divided into "chapters" so that they could be published in segments, or serialized, by the newspapers or penny presses that originally published them. The tradition stuck in book publishing.
    In a romance novel (mind you, this is a very broad generalization) you should end each chapter on a "hook" of some sort, something that will make the reader want to turn the page and read on. You do NOT want to ever end a chapter with a character going to sleep! The middle of a scene, a new development, a surprise of some sort--don't overdo this and have every chapter hanging on a gasp.
    You will have about 12-20 manuscript pages in a chapter; that seems about right for romance which is heavily character-based.
    In a mystery, for instance, you'll note that chapters tend to be much, much shorter.
    Also, you'll look for about--I emphasize "about"--three scenes per chapter, hopefully with "rising" motion.  They can be short, short, long; long, short, short; even short, short, short. Or two "longs"...again, nothing is written in stone.
    Many authors write their books in one long manuscript, then go back and break it into chapters. I don't. I write chapter by chapter, and while there is some revising in the process and rearranging of chapters, I find writing by chapter is a helpful writing and planning tool in itself.
    Hope that's of some help!

    What is an inspirational romance? It's admittedly a tough question to answer. Inspirational certainly means different things to different people.  To me an inspirational romance has the characteristics of all true romances.  The meeting of the hero and heroine is as close to page one as possible, and the characters are never separated for long. The  emotional conflict is the focus of the story, as opposed to the plot. And of course, there is the requisite happy ending.
So what makes it different? The addition of a spiritual dimension.

A. U.S. Marshall Service was created in the Judiciary Act of 1789 by the 1st Congress
B. George Washington appointed the first U.S. Marshalls – one for every colony (13).
C. Duties of marshalls and deputies:
    1. Serve subpoenas, summonses, writs, warrants, and other process issues from the courts
    2. Make all arrests and handle prisoners
    3. Disburse money
    4. Pay fee and expenses of court clerks, U.S. attorneys, jurors, and witnesses
    5. Rent courtrooms and jail space
    6. Hire bailiffs, criers, and janitors
    7. Ensure safety, availability and arrival of jurors, witnesses, and prisoners
    8.  In early history, provided local representation for the federal government within
        their districts, took national census every 10 years until 1870, distributed Presidential
        proclamations, collected various statistical information on commerce and manufacturing,
        supplied names of government employees for national register, and other tasks that helped
        government run efficiently.
    9. Register enemy aliens in war time
    10. Capture fugitive slaves
    11. Seal American border against armed expeditions from foreign countries
    12.  Swap spies with former Soviet Union
D. Modern U.S. Marshall service has grown from 12 judicial districts to 94 in the US, Guam,
    Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
E. Headquarters located in Arlington, VA
F. Involved in nearly every federal law enforcement endeavor
G. Employee approximately 4200 Deputy Marshals and career employees
H. Current tasks:
    1.  Judicial Security: protect judges, attorneys, and jurors in nearly 800 facilities.  Also
        oversee courthouse construction projects (from design to completion).
    2. Fugitive Investigations: annually apprehends 55% of all federal fugitives, executing more
        arrest warrants than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined.  Work with law
        enforcement agencies on federal, state, local, and international level.  Has become main
        agency in tracking down and extraditing fugitives apprehended in foreign countries who
        are wanted for prosecution in US.  Fugitive coordination centers are located at the El Paso
        Intelligence Center in TX, National Drug Intelligence Center in PA, Sacramento
        Intelligence Unit in CA, Missing and Exploited Children Task Force in VA, and at Interpol
        in Washington, DC and France.
    3. International Operations:  designated as the primary US agency to apprehend foreign
        fugitives in US wanted by other countries.
    4. Witness Security: since 1971, over 6500 witnesses have been protected, relocated, and
        given new identities by the USMS.
    5.  Prisoner Services: USMS houses over 28,000 federal, unsentenced prisoners every day in
        federal, state, and local jails.
    6. Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS) In 1995, the USMS air fleets
        merged to form  JPATS, which handles hundreds of requests a day to move prisoners
        between judicial districts, correctional institutions, and foreign countries.
    7. Asset Forfeiture Program: USMS manages and disposes of seized and forfeited properties
        acquired by criminals through illegal activites.  Currently, it has nearly $1 billion worth
        of property.  It maximizes the net return of this property and reinvests the  property
        and proceeds for law enforcement use.
    8. Special Operations and Programs: highly-trained force of Deputy Marshals able to
        respond to emergencies involving violation of federal law or endangerment of federal
        property.  SOG Deputies are stationed throughout the national and are on call 24 hours a
        day.  Part of their service is the Missle Escort Program, providing security and assistance
        to the Department of Defense and the USAF when Minutemen and cruise missiles are
        moved to different locations.

    The development of conflict is perhaps the single most difficult task of the writer. It is also the most important.
    Action in a story is defined by characters talking or moving, much like actors on a stage, but in order to feel written words come to life, a reader needs more. In a time when mass telecommunications have brought information to our fingertips with the flick of a switch, a reader expects excitement and entertainment in everything she reads. The conflict of the story is the avenue by which a writer can hook the reader and keep her turning pages.