diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 4b36cff..4f5a7f6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -58,3 +58,6 @@ target/
 
 # Python environment
 .python-version
+
+# Vitual Environments
+venv/
diff --git a/LICENSE b/LICENSE
index a3a3ed5..c4d8dfd 100644
--- a/LICENSE
+++ b/LICENSE
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 The MIT License (MIT)
 
-Copyright (c) 2015-2017 HDE, Inc.
+Copyright (c) 2015-2018 HDE, Inc.
 
 Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
 of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c314974..39b34b4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Run lambda function on local machine
 
 ## Prepare development environment
 
-Please use a newly created virtualenv of Python 2.7 or Python 3.6 .
+Please use a newly created virtualenv of Python 2.7 or Python 3.6.
 
 ## Installation
 
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index deb21a0..c85b854 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Run lambda function on local machine
 Prepare development environment
 -------------------------------
 
-Please use a newly created virtualenv of Python 2.7 or Python 3.6 .
+Please use a newly created virtualenv of Python 2.7 or Python 3.6.
 
 Installation
 ------------
diff --git a/lambda_local/__init__.py b/lambda_local/__init__.py
index f56a061..eabee17 100644
--- a/lambda_local/__init__.py
+++ b/lambda_local/__init__.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 '''
 python-lambda-local: Main module
 
-Copyright 2015-2017 HDE, Inc.
+Copyright 2015-2018 HDE, Inc.
 Licensed under MIT.
 '''
 
diff --git a/lambda_local/context.py b/lambda_local/context.py
index 4be412e..d1288b4 100644
--- a/lambda_local/context.py
+++ b/lambda_local/context.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 '''
-Copyright 2015-2017 HDE, Inc.
+Copyright 2015-2018 HDE, Inc.
 Licensed under MIT.
 '''
 
diff --git a/lambda_local/environment_variables.py b/lambda_local/environment_variables.py
index b518309..ea102bd 100644
--- a/lambda_local/environment_variables.py
+++ b/lambda_local/environment_variables.py
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@
 import os
 
 
+def export_variables(environment_variables):
+    for env_name, env_value in environment_variables.items():
+        os.environ[str(env_name)] = str(env_value)
+
+
 def set_environment_variables(json_file_path):
     """
     Read and set environment variables from a flat json file.
@@ -25,5 +30,4 @@ def set_environment_variables(json_file_path):
         with open(json_file_path) as json_file:
             env_vars = json.loads(json_file.read())
 
-            for env_name, env_value in env_vars.items():
-                os.environ[str(env_name)] = str(env_value)
+            export_variables(env_vars)
diff --git a/lambda_local/event.py b/lambda_local/event.py
index 3030ff1..3d0f23f 100644
--- a/lambda_local/event.py
+++ b/lambda_local/event.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 '''
-Copyright 2015-2017 HDE, Inc.
+Copyright 2015-2018 HDE, Inc.
 Licensed under MIT.
 '''
 
diff --git a/lambda_local/main.py b/lambda_local/main.py
index 95d4358..9d97e23 100644
--- a/lambda_local/main.py
+++ b/lambda_local/main.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 '''
-Copyright 2015-2017 HDE, Inc.
+Copyright 2015-2018 HDE, Inc.
 Licensed under MIT.
 '''
 
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 from . import event
 from . import context
-from .environment_variables import set_environment_variables
+from .environment_variables import set_environment_variables, export_variables
 from .timeout import time_limit
 from .timeout import TimeoutException
 
@@ -31,6 +31,17 @@
 EXITCODE_ERR = 1
 
 
+def call(func, event, timeout, environment_variables={}, arn_string="", version_name="", library=None):
+    export_variables(environment_variables)
+    e = json.loads(event)
+    c = context.Context(timeout, arn_string, version_name)
+    if library is not None:
+        load_lib(library)
+    request_id = uuid.uuid4()
+
+    return _runner(request_id, e, c, func)
+
+
 def run(args):
     # set env vars if path to json file was given
     set_environment_variables(args.environment_variables)
@@ -41,16 +52,23 @@ def run(args):
         load_lib(args.library)
     request_id = uuid.uuid4()
     func = load(request_id, args.file, args.function)
+    
+    (result, err_type) = _runner(request_id, e, c, func)
+
+    if err_type is not None:
+        sys.exit(EXITCODE_ERR)
+
 
+def _runner(request_id, event, context, func):
     logger = logging.getLogger()
     result = None
 
-    logger.info("Event: {}".format(e))
+    logger.info("Event: {}".format(event))
 
     logger.info("START RequestId: {}".format(request_id))
 
     start_time = timeit.default_timer()
-    result, err_type = execute(func, e, c)
+    result, err_type = execute(func, event, context)
     end_time = timeit.default_timer()
 
     logger.info("END RequestId: {}".format(request_id))
@@ -64,8 +82,7 @@ def run(args):
     logger.info("REPORT RequestId: {}\tDuration: {}".format(
         request_id, duration))
 
-    if err_type is not None:
-        sys.exit(EXITCODE_ERR)
+    return (result, err_type)
 
 
 def load_lib(path):
diff --git a/lambda_local/timeout.py b/lambda_local/timeout.py
index 17646c3..9d0354a 100644
--- a/lambda_local/timeout.py
+++ b/lambda_local/timeout.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 '''
-Copyright 2015-2017 HDE, Inc.
+Copyright 2015-2018 HDE, Inc.
 Licensed under MIT.
 '''
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 595797c..e7a029e 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 '''
 python-lambda-local: Run lambda function in python on local machine.
 
-Copyright 2015-2017 HDE, Inc.
+Copyright 2015-2018 HDE, Inc.
 Licensed under MIT.
 '''
+import io
 import sys
 from setuptools import setup, find_packages
 from setuptools.command.test import test as TestCommand
@@ -22,12 +23,12 @@ def run_tests(self):
         sys.exit(pytest.main(self.test_args))
 
 
-version = "0.1.6"
+version = "0.1.7"
 
 setup(name="python-lambda-local",
       version=version,
       description="Run lambda function in python on local machine.",
-      long_description=open("README.rst").read(),
+      long_description=io.open("README.rst", encoding="utf-8").read(),
       classifiers=[
           'Development Status :: 3 - Alpha',
           'Operating System :: POSIX',
diff --git a/tests/test_direct_invocations.py b/tests/test_direct_invocations.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d952981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_direct_invocations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+'''
+python-lambda-local: Test Direct Inovactions 
+(command-line and direct).
+
+Meant for use with py.test.
+
+Copyright 2015 HDE, Inc.
+Licensed under MIT
+'''
+import json
+import argparse
+from multiprocessing import Process
+import os
+from lambda_local.main import run as lambda_run
+from lambda_local.main import call as lambda_call
+
+
+def my_lambda_function(event, context):
+    print("Hello World from My Lambda Function!")
+    return 42
+
+def test_function_call_for_pytest():
+    request = json.dumps({})
+    (result, error_type) = lambda_call(func=my_lambda_function, event=request, timeout=1)
+
+    assert error_type is None
+
+    assert result == 42
+
+
+def test_check_command_line():
+    request = json.dumps({})
+    request_file = 'check_command_line_event.json'
+    with open (request_file, "w") as f:
+        f.write(request)
+
+    args = argparse.Namespace(event=request_file,
+                              file='tests/test_direct_invocations.py',
+                              function='my_lambda_function',
+                              timeout=1,
+                              environment_variables='',
+                              library=None,
+                              version_name='',
+                              arn_string=''
+                              )
+    p = Process(target=lambda_run, args=(args,))
+    p.start()
+    p.join()
+
+    os.remove(request_file)
+    assert p.exitcode == 0
+    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wercker.yml b/wercker.yml
index 25613d5..7d3c6bf 100644
--- a/wercker.yml
+++ b/wercker.yml
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ build-py2:
         code: |
           python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel
 
+    - script:
+        name: test
+        code: |
+          python setup.py test
+
 build-py3:
   box: python:3.6-slim
   steps:
@@ -49,6 +54,11 @@ build-py3:
         code: |
           python setup.py sdist bdist_wheel
 
+    - script:
+        name: test
+        code: |
+          python setup.py test
+
 deploy:
   pypi:
   - script: