Dear James,
Welcome! You will be in my prayers as you consider God's call to communion with Him in His Church.
I second the recommendation of (preferably the first [1963] edition of) Ware's The Orthodox Church. The concepts in it can be deep (I found myself re-reading things several times before it clicked), but it's a rewarding read and provides a good foundation. I didn't like his The Orthodox Way, but many others do, and find it useful. In addition, though I haven't read any of her books, Frederica Matthews-Greene's book Facing East may be helpful. IIRC, it is the story of her journey to the Church from Protestantism, and may be appropriate for "a simple person, who has never seen the inside of an Orthodox church". She also has an article (you can find it online) called Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before I Visited an Orthodox Church (I butchered the title, I think, but that's the jist of the title). These may be more practical than theological, though. I'm sure others will suggest other books, whether they be doctrinal in scope, conversion stories, or whatever.
Something you should do (if you're not doing it already) is visit the websites of the major Orthodox Churches in the US, and parish websites. Some are very basic, but others will give you a good glimpse into parish/diocesan life. There are also some good websites dealing with Orthodox customs, prayers, and other traditions. Of course, when you are able to, you should visit local parishes.
Take your time working through all this, and pray for guidance. God will lead you.
