Central region, as of a nation, 5 letters
Middle of the country, 5 letters
Midwest and Plains states, e.g., 5 letters
Paternity test factors, 4 letters
Ships' cargo spaces: Abbr., 4 letters
Length of many harness racing tracks, 7 letters
Wrestling holds (4,7), 8 letters
Palm reader's reading, 5 letters
Part of a palmist's reading, 5 letters
1986 visitor to Earth (7,5), 7 letters
*Writer who coined the word booboisie, 9 letters
The American Language author, 9 letters
The Sage of Baltimore, 9 letters
Title for this puzzle... which the answers to the eight starred clues will help explain, 11 letters
Nancy Grace's network, 3 letters
Some credit card security features, 8 letters
Author of The Call of Cthulhu, 10 letters