Story.js

// a functional copy can be found here: https://ide.c9.io/phishy/sails

/**
 * Story.js
 *
 * @description :: TODO: You might write a short summary of how this model works and what it represents here.
 * @docs        :: http://sailsjs.org/#!documentation/models
 */
var Promise = require('bluebird');
var request = Promise.promisify(require('request'));

/**
 * need to be able to stub Story and Vendor
 * need to be able to spy on request
 */
module.exports = {

    attributes: {

    },
    /**
     * send story to api then mark as updated
     **/
    process: function (story) {
        Vendor.findOne({ id: story.vendor }).then(function (vendor) {
            story.vendor = vendor;
            return request({
                method: 'post',
                url: vendor.url,
                body: story,
                headers: {
                    'Content-type': 'application/json'
                }
            }).then(function (res) {
                this.update(story.id, { status: 'sent' }).then(function (res) {
                    sails.log.info('story sent');
                    return true;
                }).fail(function (err) {
                    sails.log.error('failed to update story after send');
                });
            }).catch(function (err) {
                sails.log.error('failed to send story', err);
                return err;
            });
        });
    }
};

Story.test.js

// a functional copy can be found here: https://ide.c9.io/phishy/sails

var Story = require('../api/models/Story.js');

describe('Story', function(){
    describe('#process', function(){
        it('should POST a story to a url and update database', function(done){
            Story.process({ name: 'cool story', vendor: '123', url: 'http://localhost/receiver' }).then(function(res){
                // assert that correct parameters got passed to request
                // assert that correct parameters got passed to this.update
                assert.ok(res);
                done();
            }).catch(function(err){
                done(err);
            });
        });
    });
});