How we handle your information

Who we are

rallytakesthetrain.com (the "Site") is the official website for the children's picture book Rally Takes the Train, written by Kelsey Lizee Cecil and illustrated by Leslie Dunn. The Site is operated by the author ("we," "us," "our"). This policy explains what information the Site collects, how we use it, and the choices you have. It applies to this Site only. It does not apply to Amazon, where the book is sold, or to any other site we link to.

What we collect

We keep this simple. The Site does not sell anything directly, does not have user accounts, and does not ask you to log in.

Information you give us

• Email. If you email us, we receive your email address, your name if you include it, and whatever you write. We use it only to reply.
• Forms. If the Site offers a contact or newsletter form, we collect the fields you fill in (typically name and email) for the purpose stated next to the form.

Information collected automatically

• Usage data. Like most websites, the Site's hosting platform (Squarespace) and our analytics tools automatically record standard technical information: IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, referring page, pages viewed, time on page, and approximate location derived from IP address.
• Cookies and similar technologies. See the next section.

We do not collect payment information. All purchases of the book are made on Amazon.com and are governed by Amazon's privacy notice.

Cookies and analytics

The Site may use the following cookies and tracking technologies. You can control them through your browser settings and, where offered, the cookie banner on the Site.

Service	Purpose	Type
Squarespace	Essential cookies that make the Site work, plus Squarespace's built-in visitor analytics.	Essential / analytics
Google Analytics	Aggregate statistics about how visitors use the Site (pages viewed, traffic sources, device types). IP addresses are anonymized where the tool allows.	Analytics
Advertising pixels (such as Meta or Google Ads), if enabled	Measuring whether our ads lead to visits, and showing ads to people who visited the Site. These may set cookies and share limited usage data with the ad platform.	Advertising
Cloudinary and Google Fonts	Delivering images and fonts. These providers receive your IP address as part of serving the file.	Functional

To opt out of Google Analytics across all sites, install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. To control ad personalization, visit aboutads.info/choices or your platform's ad settings. Most browsers also let you block or delete cookies; doing so may affect how parts of the Site work.

How we use information

• To run, secure, and improve the Site.
• To understand which pages and content visitors find useful.
• To reply when you contact us.
• To measure and, if we run ads, improve our marketing for the book.
• To comply with the law and protect our rights.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it to make automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.

Who we share it with

We share information only with service providers that help us run the Site, and only for that purpose:

• Squarespace, which hosts the Site.
• Google (Analytics, Fonts) and, if enabled, advertising platforms such as Meta, for the purposes described above.
• Cloudinary, which serves the images on the Site.
• Email providers we use to read and reply to messages.

We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect the safety or rights of any person, or as part of a transfer of the Site or the book's business.

Third-party sites and services

The Site links to Amazon.com, where the book is sold, and may link to social media and other sites. When you follow a link, you leave the Site and that site's privacy policy applies. We encourage you to read it. Some links to Amazon may be affiliate links; if so, we may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

Children's privacy

Rally Takes the Train is a book for young children, but the Site is designed for the adults who buy it. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16 where a higher age applies), and the Site has no features that invite a child to submit information. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, email us at kelseylcecil@gmail.com and we will delete it.

Your rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we hold about you and receive a copy.
• Ask us to correct or delete it.
• Object to or restrict certain processing, or withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information as those terms are defined under California law. We do not sell personal information; if advertising pixels are active, the limited data they share may count as "sharing" under California law, and you can opt out by declining non-essential cookies or using the ad-platform controls above.
• Not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights.

To exercise any of these rights, email kelseylcecil@gmail.com. We will respond within the time required by applicable law (generally 45 days under California law and 30 days under the GDPR). We may need to verify your identity first. If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, our legal bases for processing are your consent (for non-essential cookies), our legitimate interests in running and promoting the Site and the book, and compliance with legal obligations. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

The Site does not currently respond to browser "Do Not Track" signals, but it does honor Global Privacy Control signals where our cookie tools support them.

Security and retention

We rely on Squarespace's security measures, including encryption in transit (HTTPS), to protect the Site. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. We keep emails and form submissions only as long as needed to respond and for reasonable record-keeping, and analytics data for the retention period set in the analytics tool (typically 14 to 26 months).

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when it last changed. Material changes will be posted on this page, and your continued use of the Site after a change means you accept the updated policy.

This policy is written in plain language on purpose. If anything is unclear, or you want to know exactly what we hold about you, just ask.