Valley Streamer to release first book

For 10 years, Rossy Qureshi roamed store aisles trying to catch potential thieves as a loss-prevention officer in Australia. Then in 2013, at the behest of her friends, Qureshi decided to write a novel about her and her co-workers experiences on the job.

“I decided to do it from a fictitious point of view, which made it more fun because I could embellish on the characters a little bit more,” Qureshi, 40, said.

But the book remained unfinished for several years, until 2016, when she moved to Valley Stream and was waiting for her green card and work visa to be approved.

“I decided it was either now or never,” she said.

So, while her husband, Manny, worked as a police officer for the New York Police Department, Qureshi wrote “Confessions of a Floor Walker.” The book follows the life of Eliza Raine Fox, who was born in Las Vegas and relocates to Brisbane, Australia to start a new life and career as an undercover loss prevention officer for a big box retailer. As the story develops, Fox learns about life in Australia and falls in love with a man in uniform.

“Most of the time I would be at work, and when I came home from work she would have a big smile on her face,” Manny reminisced. “One time she said, ‘I think I wrote you in the book.’”

Qureshi also reached out to Paul Prifti, a London-based publisher for Paul Smith Publishing, on LinkedIn. He asked Qureshi to send him the first 10 percent of her manuscript, but Qureshi decided to send him additional chapters as well. “She’s quite driven as a person and makes things happen,” Prifti said of Qureshi.

He also said that he read the manuscript and was impressed. “It’s what you want in a book,” he said.

So, Prifti decided to take a chance and publish her book. “I hope it can make it,” he said, adding that Qureshi is already considering writing a sequel.

“Confessions of a Floor Walker” will be available for purchase at a book launch party on Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. at Sip This. It will then be available for purchase online, with special promotions for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.