J,
I am desperately trying what you have accomplished here. I have gotten to the point that you have just before you effect the functions file. But when I add your code to the functions.php it bombs out and the site goes to the white screen.
I am using Elegant Themes but this functions.php edit should be above that correct?
I am editing the functions.php file in wp-includes and when either of these lines are un-commented the site bombs:
$option_posts_per_page = get_option( 'posts_per_page' );
add_action( 'init', 'my_modify_posts_per_page', 0);
Elegant Themes uses:
get_option(‘wooden_archivenum_posts’);
but I tried using this in place of your call for get_options() and it did not work. Unfortunately Elegant Themes has not gotten back to me. Do you think it is a theme conflict?
Here is my example:
https://www.marygiuliani.com/publisher/BIZBASH (taxonomy-publisher.php)
parent page:
https://www.marygiuliani.com/press (page-presspiece.php)