Michelle J. Barker — Ideas | Stories | Impact

Legal

Privacy Policy

Draft. Effective date to be set on publication. Last updated October 17, 2026. This policy is pending review by a privacy attorney.

1. Who we are

This website, michellejbarker.com, is operated by Michelle J. Barker LLC ("we", "us"), 1501 Hall Johnson Road #27, Colleyville, Texas 76034, United States. For any privacy question, write to hello@michellejbarker.com or use the privacy request form.

EU or UK representative: [To be supplied: whether one is required, and if so their name and address]

2. Information we collect and where it comes from

  • Reader list: your email address, the topic you choose, and a record of your consent (the wording you agreed to, when, where on the site, and when you confirmed or unsubscribed). You give us this directly.
  • Privacy requests: your email address, optional name, where you live, and the details you write. You give us this directly.
  • Emails you send us: whatever you choose to include.
  • Website analytics: only if you allow analytics cookies, pages visited and general device and location information, collected by Google Analytics.

We do not ask for sensitive information such as health details, and we ask you not to send it.

3. Why we use it, and our legal basis

  • Sending the updates you asked for — your consent (GDPR / UK GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)).
  • Keeping proof of consent and unsubscribes, so we never email you after you leave — legal obligation and legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(c) and (f)).
  • Answering privacy requests and emails — legal obligation and legitimate interests.
  • Analytics — your consent, given through the cookie settings.
  • Book purchases and event registration (when offered) — to perform the contract with you (Art. 6(1)(b)).

We do not sell your personal information, share it for targeted advertising, or use it for profiling or automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on you.

4. Email updates

You choose one topic: Academic & Professional, Fiction & Books, or Culinary. After you sign up we email you a link, and you are only added once you click it. Every email includes our postal address and a one-click unsubscribe link. Unsubscribing takes effect immediately and needs no sign-in. Buying a book or registering for an event never signs you up.

5. Book purchases

Book sales are not yet offered on this site. When they are, card details will be handled entirely by a secure payment provider and never stored by us. [To be supplied: payment provider name and its privacy policy]

6. Educational events

Event registration is not yet offered. When it is, we will collect only what is needed to run the event, and registering will not add you to any mailing list.

7. Cookies and analytics

Optional cookies are off until you allow them. See the Cookie Policy for the full list and to change your choice.

8. Service providers

  • Lovable — website hosting, database and email sending.
  • Google Analytics — visitor statistics, only with your consent.
  • YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) — the video on the About page.

[To be supplied: confirmation of each provider's data processing agreement and any further providers (for example GoDaddy email)]

9. International transfers

We are based in the United States, and our providers may process information in the US and other countries. [To be supplied: the safeguard relied on for each provider, such as the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or Standard Contractual Clauses]

10. How long we keep it

  • Reader list details: while you are subscribed, then two years after you unsubscribe. We keep your address on a do-not-email list so you are not contacted again.
  • Sign-ups never confirmed: deleted after 30 days.
  • Privacy requests and their records: two years after the request is closed.
  • Cookie choice: stored on your device for 180 days.

11. Security

All pages use encrypted connections (HTTPS). Subscriber and request records can only be read by the site administrator after signing in. Confirmation links are single-use and stored in scrambled form. Administrative actions are logged.

12. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of your information, to restrict or object to its use, to withdraw consent at any time, and not to be subject to solely automated decisions. Texas residents may confirm, access, correct, delete and obtain a copy of their data and opt out of sale, targeted advertising and profiling; we do none of those. You will not be treated differently for using these rights.

13. How to use your rights

Use the privacy request form or email hello@michellejbarker.com. We confirm your email address before acting, and may ask for a little more information if needed. We aim to reply within one month (EU/UK) or 45 days (US states), and will tell you if more time is needed. If we decline, you may appeal by replying to our answer.

14. Withdrawing consent

Unsubscribe using the link in any email or on the unsubscribe page. Change cookie choices with "Cookie settings" at the bottom of any page. Withdrawing does not affect anything done before.

15. Complaints

You may complain to your local data protection authority: in the EU/EEA, the authority in your country; in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk); in Texas, the Texas Attorney General. We would welcome the chance to help first.

16. Children

This site is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

17. Changes

We will post any changes here with a new date. If a change is significant, we will tell subscribers by email.