Privacy Policy

Updated October 3, 2025

I revere privacy. 

Just like you prefer to protect yours, I prefer to protect mine—even though I chose to write novels and essays and, back in the day, report the news under my real name.

Just so’s you know, journalists are expected to use their real names. It’s a matter of trust. 

When you’re on my website, you’re a guest in my online home. 

I grew up in a small town, so if you parked your car that everyone knows is your car in my driveway or out on the street in front of my house, everyone knew you were visiting me. They also knew however long you stayed, whether it’s just a quick pop-in, or a nice long visit, or—the juiciest news off all—if you stayed overnight. 

Websites don’t have a public-facing driveway yet they do collect and store some of your data. 

I’m going to tell you what I store (as little as possible) and which apps I share that info with (as few as possible) to operate this website and to facilitate my communications with you.  

SSL, aka “Secure Sockets Layer”

I have SSL protection on this site. You can even see it. 

Go up where my domain name is—the window with the .com stuff—which includes an “s” after that “http.” 

That tells you everything sent to or from my server is encrypted. 

So, here goes my declaration of what you can expect for you and your data here in my internet home. 

The Website Itself and Activity Tracking

My website was built using Author Websites by Bookbub. To read more about their commitments to privacy, you can read their privacy policy here: Privacy Policy - BookBub.

I also use Google Analytics on my site to provide me with basic data about who accesses my site. None of that data collected and stored in this manner is traceable back to any individual and is deliberately generalized. 

What GA tells me is information related to the country of origin of site visitors, what browser they’re using, and how long they stayed on the site. 

This requires the use of cookies (The non-edible kind. More about them below). You can read more about what Google captures through analytics here.

I don’t store this particular information; however I do occasionally look at it so that I can tell what people are searching for when they come to my site. This helps me provide more relevant content.

This is all stuff that’s part of our ability to use the internet. If you don’t want to be tracked, please consider using a private browser window or even a private web browser.  

About Those Cookies

I wish I meant the chocolate chip kind. Or the peanut butter ones with the hashtag made with pressed fork marks crisscrossed on the top. The ones like mom used to make and I like to buy. 

All of us on the internet know about internet “cookies.” Even I have to grudgingly admit they serve a purpose for me and the internet apps I use. 

In case you were wondering, a cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a Web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. 

For example, the cookie notice on this site will place a cookie on your computer when you accept it. Then it won’t ask you if you approve of cookies again for a month. This simplifies the process of delivering relevant content, eases site navigation, and so on. 

When you return to the Web site, the information you previously provided can be retrieved, so you can easily use the site’s features that you customized.

No private or personal information is transferred in this way.

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Many Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of this or other Web sites you visit.

My Newsletter 

Let’s get this out of the way right now. I will never sell your information you give me to help me deliver my email newsletter to your inbox. Not even if I’m living on cat food and beans. 

That said, I'm also doing something new for my newsletter which means I'm following best practices and learning as I go. 

This following may look like I'm still figuring out how these new platforms work. I'll change this portion as I get a better grip on how all this works now. It's different than what the big email autoresponder companies do. 

You can sign up for my emails in two places. Here on this website platformed by Author Websites by Book Bub. Or just go directly to my free Substack "Rhonda's Lanes".  

Either works. Just so you know, although those sites share with me that you subscribed, they do collect your emails for me. 

My newsletters will be sent to your inbox via that Substack. If you would like to read Substack's Privacy Policy, click the link. 

Again, if you just skimmed for the header, you can check out the Privacy Policy for Author Websites by BookBub.

As I write this, my website has just launched--it still has that "new website smell"--and I just barely have a Substack, as it only contains a note. 

Again, as it bears repeating, when you’ve had enough of my emails, as infrequent as they are, you are free to click “unsubscribe” at any time. 

Changes to this Statement

If there’s one guarantee, change happens--and that includes my learning about my new newsletter delivery system while using it.

Also, in the future, I may end up using different apps, which would necessitate me updating this privacy statement to tell you what I changed to. 

When I do, I will also revise the “last updated” date at the top of the privacy statement. Your continued use of the service constitutes your agreement to this privacy statement and any updates.

A Note to International Users

I was born in and live in the US, and that’s where this site is hosted. If you are accessing the Site from outside the United States, by providing your information to the Site, you are consenting to the transfer of your information to the United States for processing and maintenance in accordance with this Privacy Notice. You are also consenting to the application of United States law in all matters concerning the Site.

A Note from Me

I hope you didn’t find this Privacy Policy too tedious to read. Part of being a good host is making every effort to help my guests feel safe while visiting this site, my online home.

Site Content Owner

All of the content on this site, rhondalane.com is owned by Rhonda Lane of McNeely Solomon Media LLC, P.O. Box 230, Plantsville, CT 06479.