Sent Packin'

Sent Packin' is a Duty Calls short story originally released on December 30, 2019.

A workplace dramedy set at a business known as TTM, INC, LLC, the story chronicles middle-manager Jim navigating office politics.

This is the only Duty Calls story to date where the future juror (in this case Nathalie Trace) is a supporting character vs. the protagonist.

It also has the largest cast of characters for a Duty Calls tale.

Cover Artwork

The ebook cover art depicts construction paper train cars atop a file folder, illustrating the actual "sent packin' train" from the story.

Designed by the same artist as the Copper on Parchment cover, this was intended to bring Brandon's secret arts and crafts project honoring departed startup employees to life.

Connections to Other Stories

• Donuts at the all staff meeting were catered from Doug'N Donuts
• The CEO makes reference to restaurant Dalla Mia Camera

Behind the Scenes

• TTM, INC, LLC started as a thinly veiled amalgamation of all of JL Civi's day jobs before evolving into a more universal workplace sendup.

• TTM stands for Talk to Me, named equally after obscure songs by Nirvana and M. Ward.

• The term "sent packin' train" was coined by a former coworker of JLC named Brandon, though a physical incarnation of this train never existed in real life.

• Sent Packin' was the name of JLC's bowling league at Hollywood Star Lanes in Los Angeles.