Cleats In Clay

by Jackson Cordd

After twenty years with Nathan, pro baseball player Bobby Lane doesn’t know how to be single. His husband’s death hits him hard. Bobby thinks his life is over—so the cryptic postcards from his dead husband come as something of a surprise. The postcards lead Bobby on a quest into the heart of Texas and to the doorstep of Odis Vorleik, a sculptor who hasn't stepped foot inside his studio in nearly a year. But as Odis and Bobby grow closer, it becomes clear that Bobby didn’t know Nathan as well as he thought—and that Nathan foresaw some of Bobby's future. After a trip back home to sort out legal business, Bobby returns to Texas only to be confronted by Tuck Krickson, a local sheriff. Apparently Bobby isn’t the only one carrying a torch for Odis, and Odis isn’t the only one who makes Bobby feel alive again. This can’t be what Nathan intended….

Genres: M M Romance, M M M, Sports, Polyamory, Menage, Contemporary, Gay

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 10, 2013

About the author

Started as an avid reader at age 4. First tried my hand at writing in Jr High when I tried to create a comic book, but my drawing skills are so lacking, the work was a flop. In high school, gave up on the idea of illustrations and focused on just the words.

While working in the computer industry, I spent years writing 'mainstream' works and trying to publish. It wasn't until I got honest, and started writing about characters more like me (gay) that I began having success with publishing.

Now that I'm single again, my steamy stories keep me from getting too lonely on cold winter nights.

Reviews

[Macky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is probably the hardest book to review that I've read up to now but to try and explain why would give away far too many spoilers. What I will say, is that the premise of this is very unusual and actually quite clever. All the way through I found myself questioning certain aspects, wondering in a way, why the author was taking the story in the directions he was, thing is, it's the type of novel that you have to follow through to the end to finally get all the answers - and even then there are a few things left open, leaving the ambiguous feeling that this story could possibly have a sequel in the pipeline. If you read the product description thoroughly I don't think I'm giving to much away by saying that this is a ménage story but its different to any other I've come across before and it's actually the sexual side that has made me drop its rating by half a star. For the most part it works but there are a couple of times when all three are together in a love scene that I ( personally ) didn't quite feel the sexual chemistry - one scene in particular felt a bit 'clinical' in its description but at other times when its just two of them paired together ( Bobby and Odis, Odis and Truck, Truck and Bobby ) its quite tender and sexy and you can see why they will work out as a threesome in the long run. Surprisingly though, for a ménage plot, there aren't huge amounts of sexual encounters flooding the backstory and I thought it was when the three of them were together outside of the bedroom that their love and affection for each other showed the most, so that was a nice change too!

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the premise of Cleats in Clay, so I got it as soon as it came out. It's disappointing because I was so excited to read this and I ended up not liking it as much as I wanted to.

This whole book was weird. From the characters to the prose. Everything. And it had my biggest writing pet peeves in it.

Where to even start....

I think my biggest issues were the mundane conversations that had nothing to with the overall plot. I didn't care about their "ethnic" backgrounds, which were really just a bunch of different versions of white. Repeating the same thing over to different characters was tedious. And as a "seasoned" reader of M/M, I felt like defining certain acts was unnecessary.

Which brings me to by next issue: The sex scenes. They were so passionless and a bit on the technical/robotic side, no matter how many sparking kisses there were. I found myself skimming over them. I also had a problem with these men just meeting and taking each other's word that their clean and foregoing condoms.

Odis didn't come off as 47, but someone much younger. I understood that he was a novice when it came to same-sex practices, but his naivete made him seem childlike. Especially since his size and naivete were played up so much. I felt Bobby and Tuck didn't come off as old as they were supposed to be, either. It would've been more believable if they were in the mid-30s and Odis was in his late 20s/early 30s.

There was no romance in general between the MCs, no real indication of feelings for each other other than their reactions to physical interactions. Secondary characters told us they were in love. I wish they had gone on the dates they had planned. I also wished the three of them came together organically rather than through Nathan. Nathan's ability really cheapened what could've been a good story and relationship development.

I just really hate insta-love in contemporary romance/erotica fiction. They were all in a relationship with each other within a week if meeting each other. I know it was supposed to be ~fate according to Nate~ but there's nothing wrong with taking some time. Another pet peeve I have is namedropping of other books and authors, but I'll admit that's a more personal issue. I would like to know why Odis couldn't read it though. It's sad that I found the afterward the most exciting part of the novel. We're also told and not shown pretty much everything.

I also felt some kind of way about the author's coding for "urban." As if one can't be both "urban" and lgbt (and the "urban" are a potential danger to them) or that "urban" places is where all the bad things happen. Again, that's a personal thing.

Overall, this book wasn't what I thought it was going to be and I never got used to the writing style. Mix that with the other problems I had, this just wasn't for me.

2 Stars.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pro baseball player Bobby Lane came out abruptly when his husband Nathan, died of an aneurysm during the World Series. But six months later, a mysterious postcard from his dead ex sets now retired but still grieving Bobby on a treasure hunt. That hunt leads him to not one, but two potential replacements, and Bobby begins to learn that Nathan may have been more than just a bit psychic.

First, there's Odis Vorleik, a sculptor who hasn't stepped foot inside his studio in Brungess, Texas, in nearly a year. Then there's Tuck Krickson, a deputy in the sheriff's department in Brungess who's carried a flame for Odis since they were kids. Can the three men form a successful relationship? With the aid of a dead psychic ex, there's more than just a ghost of a chance.

This novel is a bit outside my typical wheelhouse. I'm not a big fan of M/M/M relationships, and the guys are a bit older than those I normally read about, but this tale works, and I enjoyed spending time with these guys. Since one of the three had only ever been in heterosexual relationships so far, the sex scenes included a lot more of the mechanics than I was used to, and the scenes felt more like "sex-the-sport" than "sex-the-romance," but then that may just be my perspective. And besides, there's nothing wrong with sports! Also, since these guys are older, there is a LOT less angst than one normally sees in M/M fiction about younger MCs. These guys are all pretty self-confident and have life experience and affluence that's not seen in stories about the youngsters.

Overall, I enjoyed it. The author paints believable and likable characters, and even the supporting cast had their moments. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in reading, by all means, I'd recommend that you give it a try.

*** Note: I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest and impartial review ***

[Alby Krebs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially read this book because it referenced one of my favorites, Woke Up in a Strange Place, and I wondered how it fit into the storyline. However, I began to like this book because of the combination of the mundane and fantastical--good, decent guys in their forties trying to begin a relationship but all because of the psychic abilities of the dead husband of one of them. I didn't know what was coming up next, and that is unusual in a m/m book. I liked the characters and the dialogue in this book. The different men had distinct personalities, and the secondary characters were interesting and woven into the story well. I think a few plot points were not full developed, but I am pushing this to the 4 star mark because of its oddness and originality. I will look forward to more books from this author.

[Reggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to be in the right mind set to get the most from this story. It is a slow and steady amble. I liked that. This is not a high intensity, tightly written drama or action packed mystery. The story unfolds layer by layer. It reaches full glorious bloom in the last chapters.

There is a fun, heart warming paranormal element to the story. It's kinda like a fairytale?...but not.

The MC's are-> a recently retired professional athlete, an eccentric artist and a cop. =D

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably one of the strangest contemporary M/M novels I've ever read. The cover kind of says it all, in a strange disjointed way. And that pretty much sums up the book to: disjointed. I never quite knew what I was reading.

So why the high rating? I like quirky and this was quirky to the max, in a really likeable way.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, heck by 40% I just wanted to like it. But it just did not work for me. I'm from Texas and the way they talked go on my nerves, like calling Bobby "stud" and Tuck "bonehead" and the way some of the words were spelled. I know it was meant to show our accent, but I hated it. I didn't really even mind the insta love, but I had a hard time wrapping my head around the "my dead lover, knew about us a head of time, and set the whole thing in motion" was kinda out of left field for me. It just never grabbed hold of me, and sometimes it just works that way.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to like this book as the story blurb seemed interesting but in reality apart from a few passages the story failed to reach its' potential. Odis came over as so infantile even though he was supposed to be 47 and I felt that Bobby's character/feelings were not properly explored. The story as told didn't gel somehow and would probably have been better as a novella or short story.
A generous 2 stars

[Mandy*reads obsessively*]

It sort of sounds like my kind of story! Somebody *cough* Vio needs to go first! ;)

[Addicted2M/M · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Alyse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ridiculous and overdone. Everything from the plot to the dialect to the emotions felt forced and unreal. Ugh, I hate the word "pecker".

[Anvesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

missing something