PRIVACY POLICY

We collect information to enhance your experience, provide services, and maintain the integrity of our community. The types of information we collect fall into the following categories:

A. Personal Information You Provide

When you voluntarily submit information through forms, purchases, comments, or correspondence, we may collect:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, mailing address, phone number.
• Account Information: If you create an account (e.g., for purchasing signed books), we collect login credentials, shipping details, and order history.
• Payment Information: For transactions, we collect billing information and payment method details. Note: We do not store credit card numbers or financial data on our servers. Payments are processed securely through third-party providers (e.g., PayPal, Stripe).
• Correspondence: Messages sent via contact forms, customer service inquiries, or comments on blog posts.
• Newsletter Subscriptions: Your email address and preferences (e.g., updates on book events, historical content, or educational resources).

B. Automatically Collected Information

When you browse the Website, we automatically collect certain non-personally identifiable information through cookies, log files, and analytics tools:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device model.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on site, click patterns, referring URLs, search queries.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Small data files stored on your device that help us remember preferences, analyze traffic, and personalize content. You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings.

C. User-Generated Content

If you comment on blog posts, participate in forums, or submit genealogical stories inspired by the book, we collect the content you post, your username (if applicable), and associated metadata (e.g., timestamp).

D. Information from Third Parties

We may receive information if you link your social media account (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) to share content or participate in promotions. We only collect data you authorize us to access.

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To Provide and Improve Services: Process orders, ship books, respond to inquiries, and maintain website functionality.
• To Communicate with You: Send order confirmations, shipping updates, newsletters, event invitations, or responses to your messages.
• To Personalize Your Experience: Recommend relevant blog posts, historical content, or merchandise based on your interests.
• To Conduct Research and Analysis: Understand user behavior, improve site navigation, and assess the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
• To Fulfill Historical and Educational Mission: Share anonymized insights (e.g., popular themes, reader questions) in blog posts or author commentary, always without identifying individuals.
• To Comply with Legal Obligations: Respond to subpoenas, enforce our Terms, prevent fraud, or protect our rights and the safety of others.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. However, we may share your data in the following limited circumstances:

A. With Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party vendors to perform services on our behalf, including:

• Payment processing (e.g., PayPal, Stripe)
• Email marketing (e.g., Mailchimp)
• Web hosting and analytics (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Shipping and fulfillment (e.g., USPS, UPS)

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only as directed by us.

B. For Legal and Safety Reasons

We may disclose your information if required by law, such as:

• In response to a court order, subpoena, or government request;
• To investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, or threats to physical safety;
• To enforce our Terms and Conditions, this Privacy Policy, or other agreements.

C. In Connection with a Business Transfer

If the Website or its assets are acquired, merged, or restructured, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

D. With Your Consent

We may share your information in other ways if you explicitly consent (e.g., featuring your story in a “Reader’s Journey” blog post).

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

Examples:

• Order records: Retained for 5 years for tax and accounting purposes.
• Newsletter subscriptions: Kept until you unsubscribe.
• Customer service inquiries: Retained for 2 years to ensure continuity of support.

When data is no longer needed, it is securely deleted or anonymized.

The Website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided information without parental consent, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

Parents or guardians who believe their child has submitted data may contact us at contact@thevirginiagoverness.com to request deletion.

This Website and the novel The Virginia Governess contain historical content reflective of the American Civil War era (1860s), including:

• Period-accurate language, including racial slurs (e.g., the n-word);
• Depictions of slavery, social hierarchy, and cultural attitudes of the 19th-century American South.

We collect no personal information related to race, ethnicity, or national origin. Any discussion of these topics occurs in the context of historical education and literary analysis.

We recognize that such content may be distressing. We encourage respectful dialogue and provide resources for understanding the historical context, including the Author’s Note available on the Website.

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Security measures include:

• SSL encryption for all data transmissions;
• Secure servers with firewalls and intrusion detection;
• Regular security audits;
• Limited access to personal data by authorized personnel only.

Despite these efforts, no internet transmission or storage system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to continuously improving our protections.

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

A. Access and Correction

You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you and ask for inaccuracies to be corrected.

B. Deletion

You may request that we delete your personal data, subject to legal or operational exceptions (e.g., outstanding orders, legal records).

C. Data Portability

You may request that we transfer your data to another service in a structured, commonly used format.

D. Opt-Out of Marketing

You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the “unsubscribe” link in the footer of each message.

1. Do Not Track Signals

Our Website does not currently respond to “Do Not Track” (DNT) browser signals. However, you can control tracking through your browser settings or opt out of third-party analytics tools.

F. California Residents (CCPA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California residents have the right to:

• Know what personal data is collected and why;
• Request deletion of their data;
• Opt out of the “sale” of personal information (we do not sell data);
• Non-discrimination for exercising these rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at contact@thevirginiagoverness.com . We will respond within 30 days.

The Website is hosted in the United States. If you are located outside the U.S., your data may be transferred to and processed in the U.S., which may have different data protection laws than your country.

By using the Website, you consent to such transfers and understand that U.S. authorities may have access to your data under certain legal processes.

We comply with applicable cross-border data transfer mechanisms, including the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework where relevant.

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, such as:

• Online retailers (e.g., Amazon, Barnes & Noble);
• Historical societies;
• Genealogy platforms;
• Educational institutions.

These sites have their own privacy policies, which we do not control. We are not responsible for their data practices. We encourage you to review their policies before providing any information.

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we do, we will revise the “Effective Date” at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this page regularly. If we make material changes, we will notify users via email or a prominent notice on the Website.

Your continued use of the Website after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Liz Carson Keith
c/o The Virginia Governess
Email: contact@thevirginiagoverness.com
Mailing Address: [Insert P.O. Box or Physical Address]
Website: www.thevirginiagoverness.com

We will respond to all inquiries within 15 business days.

This Privacy Policy operates within the broader mission of The Virginia Governess to honor real family letters, preserve Southern history, and foster honest dialogue about the past. While we respect modern privacy standards, we also recognize the importance of historical transparency.

The personal stories and letters that inspired the novel were preserved through generations, often shared within families and historical societies. Our digital stewardship of such narratives continues that tradition with care, respect, and accountability.

Thank you for visiting The Virginia Governess. We are honored to share this journey through history, love, and legacy with you.