PRIVACY POLICY

This notice is for this website (www.heathermartinauthor.com) and governs the privacy of those who use it. It explains how we control, process, handle, and protect your personal data while browsing or using this website, including your rights under current laws and regulations.

Definitions:

"I" or "The Website" refers to Heather Martin and www.heathermartinauthor.com.

"You", "the user" refers to the user of the Website.

"GDPR" means General Data Protection Regulation.

PROCESSING OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA

Under the GDPR, we control and process personal information about you electronically.

Lawful basis: Consent

• The reason we use this basis: You gave us consent to use your data when you subscribed to our newsletter, contacted us, or purchased a product from the website.

• We process your information in the following ways: To send updates, newsletters, and promotional offers or to fulfill purchases.

• Data retention period: We will continue to process your information until you unsubscribe from the mailing list or five years after your last interaction with the website.

• Sharing your information: We do not share your information with third parties, except as needed for ordinary business operations, such as newsletter distribution via MailerLite. Website activity (pages visited, time on site) is tracked through Google Analytics and Squarespace.

Lawful basis: Legal obligation

• The reason we use this basis: To comply with regulations related to business operations and promotions.

• We process your information in the following ways: To maintain and store data for marketing and remarketing purposes.

• Data retention period: Six years.

• Sharing your information: We do not share your information with third parties unless necessary for operational purposes.

If the lawful basis upon which we process your personal information changes, we will notify you and explain any new lawful basis to be used. We will stop processing your personal information if the lawful basis becomes irrelevant.

YOUR RIGHTS

Under the GDPR, your rights are as follows:

• The right to be informed.

• The right of access.

• The right to rectification.

• The right to erasure.

• The right to restrict processing.

• The right to data portability.

• The right to object.

• The right not to be subject to automated decision-making, including profiling.

INTERNET COOKIES

We use cookies on this website to provide you with a better user experience. This includes placing small text files on your device to track your website activity, such as pages visited and time spent on the site. Cookies may also log whether you have seen specific messages or keep you logged in where applicable.

Your web browser allows you to manage and delete cookies from your device. Please refer to your browser’s help section for guidance.

DATA SECURITY AND PROTECTION

We ensure the security of any personal information we hold by using secure data storage systems. Our storage is managed and accessed through Squarespace.

We use the following companies to manage data:

• MailerLite

• Facebook

• Google Analytics

SPONSORED LINKS, AFFILIATE TRACKING, AND COMMISSIONS

Our website and promotional emails may contain adverts, sponsored, or affiliate links. Clicking on these links may track your actions via cookies stored on your device. These cookies are usually recorded as a referral from our website and may result in a small commission for us at no additional cost to you.

If you have concerns about this, please refrain from clicking on any adverts, sponsored, or affiliate links.

EMAIL MARKETING MESSAGES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

Under the GDPR, we use the consent lawful basis for anyone subscribing to our newsletter or marketing mailing list. We collect only necessary data about you, such as:

• Your name

• Email address

• IP address

• Subscription time and date

• Open and activity data

Our email marketing is managed through MailerLite. You can find their Privacy Policy here.

You can opt out of receiving emails, request to see the data we hold about you, or ask for your data to be removed at any time through the following methods:

• Unsubscribe via the link at the bottom of any email.

• Contact us at hello@heathermartinauthor.com.

For any additional concerns or questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at hello@heathermartinauthor.com.