Privacy & Cookies Policy - Emerald Prairie Press

A.K.A. The House‑Elf Scrolls (because apparently a website needs both magic and paperwork).

Effective date: September 5, 2025
Who we are: Emerald Prairie Press, LLC (“we,” “us,” “our”). Website: https://kellybrakenhoff.com (the “Site”).
How to reach us: kelly@kellybrakenhoff.com
Where we live (for mail): 7711 W Hall Dr, Lincoln, NE 68532

TL;DR (the short, non‑lawyer version)

We collect just enough info to run a shop, send you things you asked for, make the Site work, and occasionally tell you about books we think you’ll like. We don’t sell your data. We do use cookies (the browser kind, not the chocolate‑chip kind). You can opt out of marketing anytime. If laws like GDPR/CCPA/CPRA apply to you, you have rights and we honor them. Questions? Email us.

What this policy covers

This page explains what we collect, why, how we use it, who helps us process it, how long we keep it, and your choices. If you see something that looks like tortured lawyerese, it’s because the lawyers forced the House‑Elves to type it.

What we collect

1) Information you hand to us directly

Orders & checkouts (WooCommerce): name, billing/shipping address, email, phone, order details. Payment card details are handled by our payment processor(s) and do not live on our servers.
Newsletter sign‑ups: email address, optional name; your consent to receive emails.
Contact forms & email: whatever you type (please don’t include sensitive data).

2) Information collected automatically

Cookies & similar tech: to keep your cart working, remember preferences, analyze how folks use the Site, and keep out trolls/bots.
Basic device/usage data: IP address, browser type, pages viewed, time on site, referring/exit pages. This helps us fix broken things and improve the Site.

3) Information from partners (to complete what you asked us to do)

Payment processors (WooPayments [Stripe‑powered] and PayPal) confirm payment status. If you send a paper check by owl post, we’ll cherish it and process it offline (and record your name and order details for bookkeeping).
Fulfillment/delivery tools (e.g., BookFunnel) deliver ebooks/audiobooks you purchased or claimed; they may receive your email to send you your stuff.
Email service provider (Flodesk) stores your email and tracks whether you opened a message so we can stop sending things you never read.
Analytics (e.g., Google Analytics or a privacy‑friendly equivalent) helps us understand what content is useful and what’s just shouting into the void.

Note: Actual vendor names may change. When we switch, the purpose stays the same: making the Site and shop work without handing your data to random strangers.

Why we collect it (and the lawful bases if GDPR applies)

To fulfill a contract with you (GDPR: Art. 6(1)(b)): process orders, deliver ebooks/audiobooks, handle customer support.
With your consent (GDPR: Art. 6(1)(a)): send newsletters/marketing; drop non‑essential cookies; run giveaways. You can withdraw consent any time.
For our legitimate interests (GDPR: Art. 6(1)(f)): site security, fraud prevention, debugging, analytics, improving products/services.
To comply with legal obligations (GDPR: Art. 6(1)(c)): tax/accounting, records retention.

How we use your information

Run the shop, deliver purchases, send receipts and order updates.
Send you newsletters only if you opted in (unsubscribe any time—there’s a link in every email).
Improve the Site and fix bugs (analytics + error logs).
Keep the Site secure and prevent fraud.
Comply with tax and other legal requirements.

We do not sell your personal information. If a platform requires us to say this twice: we do not sell your data.

Cookies & similar technologies

We use:

Strictly necessary cookies – make the cart, checkout, and login work.
Performance/analytics cookies – help us see what’s popular and what’s a tumbleweed.
Functional cookies – remember language, region, or the fact that you closed a pop‑up once (and should not be punished again).
Marketing/affiliate cookies – track when a link results in a purchase so creators get credit.

Your choices:

Use the Cookie Settings link in our footer (or banner) to fine‑tune your preferences.
Control cookies in your browser settings or with do‑not‑track extensions.
If you’re in the EU/UK, we’ll only drop non‑essential cookies after you say “yes.”

Affiliate links (a.k.a. the dog treat disclosure)

We participate in affiliate programs, including Amazon Associates (and occasionally others). This means if you click a link and buy something, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We mark these clearly wherever they appear. Internet law says transparency is cool; we agree.

Who gets to handle your data (service providers)

We share information with vendors who help us run the Site and deliver your orders—only what they need for their tasks, and only for that purpose:

Ecommerce: WooCommerce and selected extensions.
Merch: Zazzle (external storefront; minimal activity, but mentioned for transparency).
Payments: WooPayments (Stripe‑powered) and PayPal (they process payments; we don’t store your full card numbers). If a noble owl delivers a paper check, we process it offline and record only what’s needed for bookkeeping.
Digital delivery: BookFunnel for ebooks/audiobooks.
Email: Flodesk.
Analytics/security: [Google Analytics or other], anti‑spam, site hosting, backups.
Compliance/tax: accounting tools/services.

These companies have their own privacy policies. If they misbehave, we’ll swap them out faster than a House‑Elf snaps its fingers.

Retention: how long we keep things

Orders: generally 7 years (tax/audit rules).
Customer accounts: until you ask us to delete them or after a long period of inactivity.
Emails/newsletter: until you unsubscribe or we prune inactive subscribers.
Analytics: per tool defaults or as configured to minimize retention.

Security: how we protect your data

We use HTTPS, reputable vendors, limited access, and reasonable technical/organizational measures. No system is perfectly secure (if someone promises that, they’re selling snake oil), but we take security seriously and review vendors regularly.

Your rights (and how to use them)

Depending on where you live, you may have rights such as:

Access – ask what data we have about you.
Correction – fix inaccurate info.
Deletion – ask us to delete your data (with some exceptions, like tax records).
Restriction/Objection – limit or object to certain processing.
Portability – get your data in a portable format.
Consent withdrawal – unsubscribe or change cookie settings at any time.

To exercise any of these, email kelly@kellybrakenhoff.com with the subject line “Privacy Request.” We’ll respond within the timeframe your local law requires (usually 30–45 days). We may need to verify you’re you.

U.S. state privacy laws

If laws like California CCPA/CPRA, Colorado CPA, Virginia VCDPA, or similar apply to you, you can use the same contact to access, delete, or correct your info and to opt out of “sale”/“sharing” (we don’t sell data, but some ad/analytics tech defines “sharing” broadly). If you use a recognized opt‑out preference signal (e.g., Global Privacy Control), we’ll honor it for relevant processing.

EU/UK visitors

Our legal bases are listed above. You may complain to your local data protection authority, but please give us a chance to help first—we’re nice.

Children

This Site isn’t directed to children under 13 (or the relevant age in your region). We don’t knowingly collect personal information from kids. If you think a child provided us data, contact us and we’ll remove it.

International transfers

We’re U.S.‑based. If you visit from outside the U.S., your data may be processed in the U.S. and other countries with different privacy laws. We use appropriate safeguards where required.

Do Not Track

Most browsers let you send a “Do Not Track” signal. There isn’t a universal standard yet, but where applicable laws require honoring certain signals, we do; otherwise, use our Cookie Settings tool to control tracking.

Changes to this policy

We’ll update this page when things change and note the new effective date. If the changes are material, we’ll post a notice on the Site or email you. No owls required.

Contact us

Questions, requests, or compliments for the House‑Elves?
Email: kelly@kellybrakenhoff.com
Mail: 7711 W Hall Dr, Lincoln, NE 68532

End of scroll. Mischief managed.