Corbin eventually joined the Navy, although he'd already started writing his first novel.

"I'd written about four to five chapters," he told me, "and then our computer's hard drive went kaput.

"It wasn't until five years later that I began writing Rebirth."

Rebirth is Corbin's gripping novel about a young woman who is about to have her whole world turned around after taking up a job at DEP Genetics.

The company sends Maria on a trip to the place of her birth, but as the plot develops it is obvious that its motives are far from innocent.

In 2005, Corbin was diagnosed with a pineal region cyst in his brain, which, although he's recovered from, still causes him memory loss.

This hasn't curtailed his writing, though, and he's currently working on another book.

Corbin told me how he came to write Rebirth – a story that seemed to be lying latent within him, just waiting to be put down on paper: "I had just bought my first laptop, and as soon as I turned it on, the story just flowed out of me.

"It was as if I was watching it in my head like a movie. I just wrote what I could see."

"After the 15th chapter, I stopped writing for more than a year and a half, because the 'movie' just seemed to stop playing.

"On September 19, 2007, I fell 30ft off of a ladder and was really badly hurt. Due to my injuries, I was in my bed for many long hours.

"Then, just as quickly as the movie stopped playing, it started back up, and I finished the last five chapters in January 2008.

"I never knew Rebirth would go so global."

I asked Corbin how he first got involved with writing.

"I have always been a great storyteller, all of my life," he said.

"I think the main reason I started writing them down was so that everyone else could enjoy them as well."

I asked Corbin if he'd ever had any paranormal experiences during his life.

"I have always had paranormal activity take place around me. It seems to follow me wherever I go.

"Haunted houses? Oh yes, they do exist. I lived in a few as a child – and as an adult."

Ironically, it was Corbin's pineal cyst which inspired him to continue writing: "I think the fact that I was diagnosed with a pineal region cyst made me think about my own mortality.

"I didn't want these stories inside my mind to be lost forever if I ended up dying at a young age."

Well, it looks as if Corbin's going to be with us for a good while yet, thank goodness – and writing a few more books.

Inevitably, considering the sort of stuff he writes about, Corbin has a liking for science fiction.

"I'm always checking out the Sci-Fi Channel. Some shows are a little on the goofy side, and I don't really like those kind.

"I much prefer those with classy storylines that aren't too far-fetched – Star Wars, The Matrix, Star Trek – and I like movies involving the Immortals."

The final question I put to Corbin was whether he'd ever visited Tyneside, and if not, when did he plan on coming?

"I haven't been to England yet, and that is one place in my life I would love to visit.

"There are so many sights to see and experiences to have there, and the people are some of the kindest and most polite I've ever encountered."

If you'd like to find out more about Rebirth by Corbin Dailey, visit www.52464.authorworld.com. The book is published by Authorhouse and you can order it by visiting Amazon.co.uk.

* If you have any spooky stories or eerie tales you'd like to see in print, send them directly to the Gazette or e-mail them to me via this link.