Earlier this year Dublin based writer Bill Barich, an expatriate American, got the phone call of his career - one he never imagined receiving.

Executives at HBO liked his pitch about a racetrack-based mini-series he had breezily suggested from Dublin, and would he please come out to Hollywood to put the finishing touches on a pilot episode?

It was like throwing a dart out the window and hitting a bullseye. He was astounded. After he got over the out-of-the-blue surprise he came to his senses, packed his bags and nine months later HBO has ordered a full season’s worth of 'Luck,' signing the legendary Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte for its principal roles.

The horse racing series will debut on the cable network in January.

“If all goes well,” Barich told the press this week, “this gig, as opposed to my books, may keep me out of the Trail’s End trailer park in Santa Rosa.”

Barich also hopes the buzz surrounding 'Luck' will help stimulate interest in his latest book, 'Long Way Home: On the Trail of Steinbeck’s America,' which was published this month.