So Halo and Flake came into my life, 7 long (and simultaneously) short years ago. I can't remember ever doing anything different as we walk through the snow, rain, drizzle and damp. I delight myself at the simple pleasures of taking them to the park and sitting on the grass.

But Halo and Flake are like my children. And children need variety, even if they are furry and four legged. There's a certain kind of guilt if I go out and leave the house without them. They must be sad. They must be bored of looking at the four same walls.

So I make it my mission to find new places for them to go, so they can see and smell different sights and sounds. This could be as simple as taking them to a cafe, a restaurant (of which there are disturbingly few in London which are dog friendly), the pet shop for Flake to oogle at hamsters and bunnies and even the odd DIY shop. For me, I think they're having fun, but who can really know, they haven't told me yet!

But I digress, what I'm really getting at is the fact that Halo and Flake have actually had many real life adventures, from the simple everyday excursions mentioned above to the doggy orientated holidays they've had in the UK and abroad. These are the very same adventures that inspired and prompted the books I'm writing!

Now I don't want to come off sounding like a batty dog woman, where all I do is stress out about my pets, but animals and their physical and mental welfare really are at the forefront of my mind. What is the point of owning an animal if you're not going to take ownership? So I do all I can to make sure they are happy, and their happiness is also my happiness. So what better than to go on holiday and take my two fur babies. So off we went, we packed the car with all our essentials and zoomed across the Channel bypassing the north of France, skirting around Paris and made our way to the idyllic sights of Reims.

For those of you who do not know this part of France is the Champagne region, glorious vineyards hug the quaint villages and roads and although I am a seasoned traveller and have been all around the world this region really did strike a cord with me and the boys. This I can be sure of as the French are extremely tolerant of our four legged friends. We went everywhere together, from cute boutique restaurants to Michelin star establishments, vineyards, shops and supermarkets. Oh and the pool. Boy did Flake enjoy watching people splash in the pool. Maybe he thought we were those ducks he loves to chase, maybe he wanted to plunge in too, whatever it was his smile was priceless. And that's what it is- its not money or belongings that make you happy. Its the simple things in life like a smiling dog!