For various valid reasons, some blank paragraphs must be maintained in the final eBook e.g. between verses of a poem. Blank paragraphs can be ignored if you are using Mobipocket Creator to produce the final book as it ignores all blank paragraphs. Trying to find a way to maintain desired blank paragraphs in Mobipocket Creator, I ran the following test on a poem with several verses. The poem was repeated four times in the file and each method was applied to one of the copies.
With blank paragraph from original file.
HTML produced by BD: <DIV align=justify> </DIV>
Removed by Delete Empty Paragraphs in BD.
Ignored by Mobipocket Creator (no blank paragraph in book)
With Insert Empty Paragraph (Ctl + E)
HTML produced by BD: <DIV> </DIV>
Ignored by Delete Empty Paragraphs in BD.
Ignored by Mobipocket Creator (no blank paragraph in book)
With Harry's Hint: (Enter period, center, delete period)
HTML produced by BD: <DIV align=center> </DIV>
Ignored by Delete Empty Paragraphs in BD.
Ignored by Mobipocket Creator (no blank paragraph in book)
Edit HTML file to replace <DIV> and </DIV> with <P> and </P>
This method was maintained by Mobipocket Creator. Everything worked fine even when every instance of <DIV> and </DIV> was replaced with <P> and </P>. Either a selective replacement or a "Big Bang" replacement seems to work. With the "Big Bang" replacement even undesired Blank Paragraphs will be maintained.
I have found that the most selective method is to place a paragraph containing "..." where I want an empty paragraph and then edit the HTML file to replace those lines of HTML with the Blank Paragraph :<P> </P>.
HTML produced by BD: <DIV align=justify> ... </DIV>
Replace with: <P> </P>
Patricia's solution is even simpler: Replace with <BR>
The blank lines/paragraphs were maintened in the desired locations. If you are using Mobipocket Creator, you are already editing the HTML file to add TOC and START READING tags.
Perhaps someone, especially HarryT, has come up with a better solution.