By Whitney Smith - wross@marion.gannett.com

Brenda Murphy never intended to be a star, but the former Van Buren resident has rubbed elbows with some of the biggest names in television and beyond.

Murphy, or the "Candy Queen," as she's called, is featured in the book Starring You!, written by Marta Tracy, Terence Noonan with Karen Kelly and published by Harper Collins.

According to the authors, Starring You!is an insiders' guide to using television and media to market yourself.

Noonan noticed Murphy a few years ago when she made an unplanned debut on the Rosie O'Donnell Show.

"He was a producer on Rosie's show," Murphy said. "He contacted me and wanted to feature me in his book."

The Long Valley, N.J., resident only wanted tickets to be in the audience of the talk show but could never obtain them. She decided to replicate Rosie's talk show set out of candy and sent the show pictures of her creation. The stunt earned her a guest spot on the show.

Not long after her TV debut, Murphy was getting calls from Kathy Lee Gifford, The Viewand The Wayne Brady Show for some of her sweet delights.

Her story is one of many featured in the book that is forwarded by Food Network chef Paula Deen. The book also features stories of how Dean and Nancy Grace, host of CNN Headline News' legal analysis program, got their start on television.

Murphy said she was shocked to be among so many great names.

"Most of the people in here are 'somebody,'" she said.

To celebrate the launching of the book, Murphy made a candy replica of the book. She said she used white chocolate and rice crisp cereal to get it just right.

Her husband, Keith, said he had to make a sign stating the books were candy because people didn't believe they were not the real thing.

Murphy couldn't attend the party because of other engagements, but Keith was happy to stand in on her behalf.

"I've been amazed as anyone," he said. "She does things out of the goodness of her heart, and it just leads to things."

While she's not working on any other candy creations, when the couple heads back to their New Jersey home, Murphy will begin working on a how-to book that will teach people how to make candy sculptures.

Since her TV appearances, she has since been recognized on a plane and by several celebrities and has even had to turn some away. Murphy said she doesn't feel any different.

"I just feel like a regular person," she said.

Even though her growing fame was unintentional, Murphy offered her advice for those looking to make it big.

"Enjoy what you do, and maybe send pictures to the show," she said.

By Evelyn Shih

I gave Marta Tracy my name and number without thinking.
"You see what I just did?" she asked after taking it down.
My Information is now indeliberately inscribed in Tracy's Rolodex of contacts, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Food Network host Paula Deen, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi and "The View" host Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

A television producer responsible for launching the Style Network as well as helping to create E! Entertainment Television, Tracy has been putting people on TV for more than 30 years. She treats every phone number like a keeper - and so should you.

Networking one name at a time is only one of the many insider tips she lays bare in her book, Starring You! which arrives in bookstores this week.

"People kept coming to me and getting advice from me about getting onto television," said the Old Tappan resident. "I'd see them on TV a few months later."

Now you, too, can get the Tracy treatment. Starring-You! is a step-by-step guide to getting booked on TV shows, something that almost everyone should do, according to Tracy and co-writer Terence Noonan, a co-producer on "The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet."

"I think that television is still the most powerful medium for getting your message out," said Tracy, claiming that the Internet has yet to outdo the tube in terms of mass influence. Whether you actually want to become a TV personality or you want to "launch your brand, your business and your life," as Tracy is fond of repeating, the glowing box is the way to go.

Tracy herself was a convert to television. At Boston College, she studied education but eventually "just felt that the box was a little bit small for me."

"Sophomore year, I happened to pass a sign in the basement of the education building that said "TV 101," she recalled. "I just had an aha! moment -- gosh that sounds so exciting, that's what I want to do."

The problem was, Tracy discovered, she had no contacts in an industry where who you know is everything -- hence, her now fanatic dedication to the expansion of her Rolodex. As a fresh college grad, she spend three years pounding the pavement before a tenuous tie got her in the door at the children's show Captain Kangaroo. By the time she was in her late 20's, Tracy was working at HBO with a then-fresh-faced Matt Lauer on entertainment segments.

Nowadays, as the owner of her own company that realizes the dreams of would-be TV guests, Tracy wouldn't trade her career for anything else. What's best, she said, is "the opportunity to be creative, to work with other creative people."

Tracy is working on a show concept that she hopes to bring to frution soon. "It's some of the best work that I've done in my life.

But don't expect to see "The Marta Tracy Show" anytime soon.

"I have never wanted to be in front of the camera," she said. "It was very clear to me what I was in college, working with talents in TV, that I enjoyed helping the talent get on TV and on the screen. But I never considered myself an actress.

The best role I ever had was to help give (others) confidence," she added.

Email: shih@northjersey.com

by Teri Agins

Business executives and marketing experts, get ready for your close-up. The explosion of business programs on TV and Internet podcasts makes it more likely you'll be called to be a guest pundit.

And when you're called, "how you look on camera is just as important as what you have to say," says Marta Tracy, a veteran TV producer. Ms. Tracy who helped launch "E! Entertainment" and "Style Network" warns that TV isn't the time to pile on accessories or experiment with the latest fashions. When you are being interviewed as an expert, she says: "You nee to come across as authoritative."

Set aside at least two TV outfits-preferably suits in deep, solid colors such as navy and gray for both sexes. Women should also consider sleek, conservative dresses. Your TV wardrobe should be crips and new. Your favorite old outfits may have become dulled from dry cleaning and wear, which will look drab on camera, she says.

For her own coming book tour, promoting "Starring You," a guide she cowrote to prepare guests for media appearances, Ms. Tracy bought wrap dresses in black and brown, whose V-necks can easily be attached to a microphone. She sewed the V-neck closed--no danger of cleavage peeking--and shortened the sleeves four inches, to expose more of her wristes, which looks "more modern and less matronly." She prefers flesh-toned sling-back shoes--which disappear on camera--instead of black pumps, which look "too Minnie Mouse," she says.

Men should avoid white shirts, which can look too bright and may not suit all skin shades. Choose a shirt in lavender, light blue or pink, which are more flattering--and pair it with a pastel tie. Pay attention to fit, because "it's true that the camera makes you look heavier," Ms. Tracy adds.

If you wear glasses, consider frameless eyeglasses with more nonreflective lenses. And both sexes should get fresh manicures, because "you gesture with your hands," she says. A freshly blow-dried coiffure for women "gives your hair body and movement and helps your confidence," As you rehearse your sound bites in front of the mirror, "practice sitting on your open jacket to smooth your line, as you lean forard with great posture."

Joe Tacopina is one of the city's top defense lawyers now, but he was at rock bottom when he first hung out his shingle in 1994. "I rented one of those office packages where you get a mailbox and conference room and they answer the phones for you. I would make calls at a diner for two hours every day," Tacopina tells Marta Tracy and Terence Noonan in their new book, "Starring You," an insider's guide on how to use the media to promote a business. Our Paula Froelich tells the authors about the importance of good makeup for TV appearances, noting how an imcompetent once made her look like "a hideous, cracked-out version of Zsa Zsa Gabor."

Publisher: HarperEntertainment
Price (paperback): $14.95
Publication Date: July 2007
ISBN (paperback): 9780061171123
Classification: BUSINESS AND PERSONAL FINANCE

There are more television segments than there are good people to fill them. You–and your message or product–might well be one.

"Getting time on a show, especially one that is specifically targeted to a sympathetic audience, is one of the most effective ways of getting your brand or idea or service in front of people who want to know about it," write television executive Tracy and producer Noonan, and they go on to plainly and enthusiastically spell out the particulars: Television wants you if you know how to define your brand, clarify your message and can convince someone of the value of your idea through the art of the crisp, direct pitch. As television professionals, the authors are very conscious of time; they want you to get it right the first time. To that end comes hands-on advice about picking the kind of show that best suits your situation, exactly when and to whom to pitch your idea, the psychology of dressing for television and how to network within the networks.

Tracy and Noonan bring to their book everything they want from their talk-show guest: an informed passion, a human face, some surprising news and a sense of humor.