Eva/AVX not recognizing that wake mode is off (always coming to front and draining battery when set to off)

I purchased Eva a couple of years ago and whenever I had an issue or question, the Dev was quick to respond to emails. Now, however I have sent several querries about a recurring issue, and have heard nothing back in well over a month. I have an HTC one (M8) with the Eva app installed (reinstalled several times) and cannot seem to turn the wake (always listening) mode off. The settings say "off" (all instances) but the app won't stop appearing in the notification bar as "listening for..." I know the app is no longer the latest and greatest, but I love it just the same. My hat is off to the Dev for this one and his dedication to the product, but I need outside help with this. Peter, where are you?

Any ideas?