PHP Code

<?php
            $featured_posts = new WP_Query(array(
                'showposts' => get_option('pyre_featured_posts'),

                                'orderby' => 'post_date',
            ));
            ?>
            <div id="featured-wrapper">

                <div class="slider-item">

                    <?php while($featured_posts->have_posts()): $featured_posts->the_post(); ?>
<?php $do_not_duplicate = $post->ID; ?>
                    <?php $image = wp_get_attachment_image_src(get_post_thumbnail_id($post->ID), 'slider-image'); ?>
                    <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php the_title(); ?>"><img src="<?php echo $image[0]; ?>" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" title="#htmlcaption_<?php echo $post->ID; ?>"/></a>
                    <?php endwhile; ?>

                </div>



                <?php while($featured_posts->have_posts()): $featured_posts->the_post(); ?>
                <div id="htmlcaption_<?php echo $post->ID; ?>" class="slider-text nivo-html-caption">
                <span class="commentscap"><?php comments_popup_link('0', '1', '%'); ?></span>

                    <div class="slider-heading">

                        <h2><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php the_title(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
                        <p><span class="categorynew"><?php the_category(', '); ?></span>
<?php echo string_limit_words(get_the_excerpt(), 20); ?></p>
<span class="categoryn">By <?php the_author_posts_link(); ?> </span>
                        <span class="date">  on <?php the_time('F d, Y'); ?></span>
                        <?php if(function_exists('kc_add_social_share')) kc_add_social_share(); ?>
                    </div>

                </div>
                <?php endwhile; ?>

            </div>
            <?php endif; ?>